The Impact of Affection
by ElsAnnaSpaz
Summary: Elsa is a quiet girl living alone on the side of a mountain where she can be at peace and away from all those who've pushed her around. Never before had she a friend or even someone to talk to, but what happens when she bumps into a girl who she feels can fill up the void tearing open her heart? The only thing is, this woman has a bit of a disability. [ElsAnna] Please advise.
1. Chapter 1

Elsa was a small-town girl, living her life by her own rules on the outskirts of a city in which she grew to love. All her life, she had been bullied by her classmates and coworkers from what was considered to be a plague hiding deep within her mind. Not ever discovering why it was chosen to be it her burden, Elsa was a lesbian—never knowing if she should be ashamed or proud. Her father was an abusive piece of filth, alone in a moldy box only fit for the swine in which he was. Day after day, the gluttonous potato sat in his living room intoxicated as he watched the TV; Elsa always wondered how he could even afford to live.

For nineteen years, she put up with all his shit while in the meantime she had graduated and found herself a job. One unfortunate day, the eruption of hate and screams were spit at one another, concluding with Elsa being thrown out of the only house she ever knew. Maybe it was destiny, maybe it was just rage, but she knew living in a bottomless pit was not to be. Halting a taxi, she headed for the airport and took the quickest flight out. Caring not where she went or what would happen, Elsa boarded the plane, taking only her money and teddy bear, which was given to her by her mother at the age of six. Only a month later, her mother died in a car accident, leaving Elsa with only the bear to mourn over. She hugged the bear as hard as she could whilst a tear from both of her eyes slid down her cheeks. At the sight of her home slowly vanishing, the tears dropped onto the golden plush toy before slumber embraced with a hug that she so desperately needed.

Roughly two hours later, Elsa awoke with a huge weight taken off. She sat rather calm despite knowing the matters which she would soon have to face. In her seat, she wondered if her life even meant anything—if she had any purpose, and if so, what? For a bit, Elsa thought if the world would change if she—just a tiny insect among giants—existed in it no longer. But then, to her left, she saw the beauty of the world. Out of her window, she gazed down unto the planet and all of its glory. She saw a sparkling lake at the bottom of a mountain, which to her looked puny because of her altitude. A small village seemed to live there, showing only ten to eleven houses scattered across the small landscape. For the first time in forever, Elsa felt the pure sense of happiness, which had been absent from her life for too long. Her first smile in years carved into her cheeks, remembering the sweet touch of elation. With her spirits slightly brightened, Elsa took a deep breath for her new beginning at hand; her eyes were finally open.

"Thank you, mother… Please guide me through my journey…"

Since that day, Elsa headed forward and set herself down a path which no one could follow. She found her calling as a humble artist. Her portraits had made their way into some of the nearby museums—some even traveling to other cities. Many of them were bought and were given much praise for their pristine nature, but when the people asked to see the woman responsible, she declined from any interview. Elsa was scared. She fixed herself in a cage in which no soul could enter. With the money grossed, Elsa was able to provide for herself and continue on with her art inside the house she had purchased.

Her home was located alone on a mountainside nearly eight kilometers away from the town. There, she lived with her Border Collie named Shfix—her only source of company. Every day, she would take him on a walk all around the mountain, circling right back home. Elsa liked to think the entire hill was hers to own and had decorated as so. To the right of her house, she had planted a bench surrounded by a vast variety of flowers. It pointed straight off the mountain, for whoever sat in it would see the gorgeousness of the land down below. At the bottom of the mountain, a small road winded off into the distance of the city. Just across it laid a wavy land of spotless, green grass, and beyond that was a thick lake. Together, the three of them traveled side by side—no end or beginning.

For hours at a time, Elsa would stare at that bench through her window, never achieving an answer to why it lured her to look at it. After a while, she made many attempts at it to be drawn, but always felt as if something was missing. One such drawing was a picture of her sitting beside someone on the bench. Oddly, she didn't know who this person was, what drove her to create it, and when she even made it, though it lingered in her mind too much for her to throw it out. Elsa hung the picture on her wall, so every day she would have to look at it until the answer was shown.

In now the present, Elsa was leisurely making her way through the town, hoping to catch a glimpse of something that would be her next inspiration. She sat at an outdoor table at a café, sipping her mocha as the chilling winds blew her hair to the side. She stared at a totem pole, eyeing every specific detail, wondering if it could open up to a new idea. As this was her last destination, Elsa gave up and decided to head home. The blonde made her way past building after building, nearing the final turn. At a nearby garbage can, she threw her cup in and took a hard right—her head sulking due to her exhaustion and failure. At the step of her left foot, she collided with somebody, sending them both to their buttocks.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" Elsa said, picking up her keys and the stranger's glasses.

"Oh, no, I'm sorry! I'm such a klutz!" the woman spoke. The blonde looked up at the voice in front of her and saw what seemed to be the entire universe. The girl before her was a strawberry blonde with two braids and the most adorable shade of red on her blushed cheeks. Her lips were oh so pink and soft as if Elsa could already feel them. The freckles spotted on her cheeks grew Elsa chills; ever so perfect were thy brown speckles. As the girl knelt to find her things, Elsa kept still, gazing in awe on her knees at such beauty. Really, Elsa had no idea to react other than gawking with her heavy jaw. Never before had she seen someone so immaculate in all of her life; not even the art of the world could compete with such faultlessness. The redhead scavenged the ground ahead of her before accidentally touching Elsa's knee and pulling her hand away.

"Oh, forgive me… I just need to find my things." she said, still feeling the concrete.

Elsa shook herself out of her trance, "Oh… oh, yeah. My apologies." she said as she picked up the girl's white pole off the ground. As she handed her the glasses as well, Elsa saw her eyes and what they possessed. With the items the woman carried and the gray tint to her pupils, the blonde realized she was blind.


	2. Chapter 2

**Before we begin, I just want to thank all of you for your support on the first chapter of this story. I really didn't expect to have so much feedback, and I don't know if I've ever been more proud of something in my life. I seriously can't thank you enough, and I love each and every one of you. You all deserve medals for being so awesome!**

 **Spaz~**

"Oh… oh, my gosh! I'm so sorry!" Elsa said, helping the poor girl to her feet. "I should've watched where I was going. Are you hurt?" The woman grasped Elsa's arms tightly for support while her knees trembled slightly to find correct footing. In this moment, a bell in the blonde's mind rung loudly until it felt as if she were shaking as well. This certain interaction between the two of them clung within Elsa's mind and bones. It felt in depth like she was carrying the entire world upon her shoulders. She grew weaker the higher the woman got, but Elsa found herself pushing harder to secure this woman's posture.

Once the redhead stood firmly, Elsa knew this girl wasn't just another fellow citizen to simply pass by. No, this unfortunate girl was a gift—a prodigy to enter Elsa's life. Surely it wasn't a coincidence that she so happened to bump into this woman. Perhaps it was destiny. The only thing Elsa knew certain was that this girl meant something immensely important and couldn't let her slip away. It was now her duty to find the meaning of this girl whether she'd be something alien or simply her only friend.

"No, no, I'm fine. But thank you for helping me." Again, as this girl spoke and faced toward Elsa, the blonde could feel a wave emitting forward a feeling which was never fond of Elsa. It struck her intensely like a brick wall. Was it pity? Was it pity in someone other than herself that made her feel a connection? Was it pity?

"Oh, no problem. Do you need anything? Is there something I can do?"

"Oh, no. I should be fine." she answered.

"No, please, let me help you. Where are you headed? I can drive you."

The girl seemed astonished, "Wow. R-really? I mean… are you sure?"

"Yes, please, I'd love to help you…" Elsa paused. _"Love? Love!? Really!? …Love… Love!"_ she then thought. A tingling sensation ran through her body.

"What was that?" the girl asked, wondering the reason why the person in front of her had gasped.

Elsa snapped back, not realizing she had actually muttered sound, "Oh, yeah. Sorry. Anyways, let me give you a ride."

The girl smiled, "…Thank you… I would like that a lot. …Nobody has ever done this before." she spoke slow and quiet.

Elsa put her hand to her chest, "Well, I'm glad I can help. Here, come with me." The woman immediately grabbed hold of Elsa's hand as they started forward. With her right, Elsa reached across the woman's back to her furthest shoulder. Together, they walked roughly ten meters to Elsa's car. The journey seemed the length of a decade to the blonde. All throughout her mind were questions of the woman in which she held. She found herself quickly wondering about what seemed like an unbreakable chain linking her towards the girl. One specific word bounced around in her head, but it battled with her fantasies. Did Elsa love this woman? No, it would never work out. But what about the intense feelings that never had she felt before? Why did she feel like she couldn't leave her unlike anybody she's ever seen and met? Did it mean anything when the girl held her hand? Why did she want to keep her?

Before these questions could be answered, the two of them stopped at the side of her car. Elsa slowed the two of them down. With a warning of her step to the curb, she opened the door and safely sat the girl in the passenger seat. Elsa swiftly sat and started up the vehicle.

"So where are you headed?" the blonde asked.

"Home. Meg Avenue, please."

"Great. That's not too far from here at all." Shortly, they were on their way.

"So again, I can't thank you enough. I mean, really, this is just outstanding what you are doing!" the girl said about ten seconds into their drive.

"Oh, yeah, no problem. I'm glad I could help you. …And I'm sorry for bumping into you like that. I should've been paying attention."

"Nah, it's OK. It happens to me quite regularly, as you can probably tell by now."

"Oh… that can't be true…" Elsa said awkwardly, attempting to lighten up the mood.

"Well, unfortunately for me, it is…" the girl said slightly depressed. "Say, you're not going to take me into an alley and stuff me in the trunk, right?" she joked.

Elsa giggled, "No. Believe me, I have no intentions."

The redhead giggled as well, "Good."

"So what's your name?"

"Anna."

"Anna… Hm, that's a pretty name."

She giggled again, "Thank you. What's your name?"

"Elsa."

"Elsa… I've never heard of that name before. Elsa, you have a beautiful name."

The blonde nearly gasped again, "O-oh… well… th-thank you."

"So, Elsa, how long have you lived here? What's your life all about?" There was a short pause before anything else was said. The blonde thought about everything she had went through as a child and how she completely ran away from home. For a while now, she's known peace and would rather forget her past.

She sighed, "Sorry, but I'd rather not talk about it."

Anna became much quieter, "Oh… I'm sorry for asking."

"It's fine. I believe we're here anyway. What number is it?"

"Five hundred."

"Alrighty then." Elsa concluded, pulling up to the house on the side of the road. She helped Anna out of the car and carefully walked her up the small hill, which followed up to the door. They climbed the three steps before Anna knocked on the door. Suspense rose within Elsa. How would Anna's guardians react to Elsa? Anna, so far, was the only the second person who had not yet hurt her in some way. Elsa never knew what receiving kindness felt like, so she had set herself a defense—one to prepare for her worries.

The door swung open, and a woman just above the size of Elsa, with her brown hair in a bun, stood to welcome Anna. She smiled with a greeting and gave her a hug before seeing Elsa, who stood only a foot behind and to the right of the redhead. Elsa and the guardian stared at each other for a bit, both with the same confused kind of look.

"Elsa, this is my mother, Iduna." Anna introduced. "Mom, this is Elsa." The blonde and brunette shook hands, though spoke no words. The silence between them was not of anger or disgust, but rather wonder. And though she could not see, Anna could definitely hear the lack of communication, prompting her to ask what was wrong.

"Mother? Elsa? Is everything alright?"

"…Yeah…" Iduna softly spoke. "It's just…"

"I have the most vague sense of Déjà vu…" Elsa finished with the brunette's sentence.

"Yeah… Anyways," the mother said, breaking out of her daydream, "pleased to meet you."

"You as well." Elsa replied.

"Mother, I met Elsa on the street this morning. She saw that I needed help and offered to drive me home." The blonde blushed, looking off to the side.

Her mother smiled greatly before speaking, "Oh, how sweet of you." she said to Elsa. "Did you say thanks?"

"Yes, mama, I always do."

" _Huh, mama…"_ Elsa thought. _"That's what I always said."_

Iduna spoke up again, "Would you like to come in for tea? We always enjoy company." The blonde blushed again.

"Are you sure?"

"Oh, yes! Come inside! We have plenty!" she said walking into the kitchen.

"Forgive my mother. She does this with everybody. Come on in!" Anna said. Elsa was hesitant, but she entered and took her shoes off accordingly. She approached the kitchen and saw Anna's mother sifting through her cupboard on the opposite side of the room. She noticed the kettle already boiling. The woman must've already been planning to have tea.

"Excuse me, I'm just going to go take a quick shower." the redhead said, now walking away from the blonde cautiously with her hands in front. For a second, Elsa panicked. She couldn't already be left alone with her mother, but she most certainly couldn't keep Anna from doing so. She was barely able to talk to someone without being insulted or the conversation extremely awkward and quiet. Seeing the redhead fade into the shadow of the corridor, Elsa now wished she left when she had the chance.

"What kind of tea would you like?" Iduna called.

"Oh… u-a-um, um… Sorry. Just green tea would be nice." the blonde hesitated as she grew more nervous. _"Wow, Elsa. Way to screw that up."_ she thought angrily at herself. The mother poured the water in after and handed it over to Elsa. She said her thanks before the brunette spoke again.

"Please, sit." she said, gesturing to the table. Elsa sat on one end of the table as Iduna sat on the other. For a moment, silence became upon them with only the splashing of a shower in the distance accompanying them. They sat hushed, bobbing the teabag in their cup repeatedly. Among this unfortunate trial, Elsa looked to the side knowing this was what she feared. There was only silence. She felt stupid, knowing she looked stupid.

"So how exactly did you and Anna meet?" a voice broke across the table. Elsa became red, panicking again. For a split second, she wondered if that voice were referring to someone else, though knew she was the only other person in the room. Elsa had to answer. The only thing she hoped was to not look like a fool.

"Oh, u-um… Sorry. Well, we kind of just bumped into each other on the sidewalk… I was, uh… turning a corner and was looking down, so… I didn't see her. I didn't realize until after that she was… blind."

"Yeah… Bless her poor soul. I just want her to be happy, you know?"

"Yeah, it's got to be tough living like that."

"You would think, but Anna acts like it's not even there. It's almost inhuman how well she copes with it. …I guess I shouldn't be surprised, though. We come from a past of optimists."

"Oh, well, that's always good." Elsa replied, then staring back down at her cup.

"So what you do for a living?"

The blonde hesitated again, "…Well, I make art."

"Oh, amazing! An artsy girl! I bet you love that!"

Elsa tried to hide a smirk, "I do." she said lightly to keep sheltered her humility.

"And that works out well for you?"

"It does."

"You live with anybody? Boyfriend? Husband?"

Elsa's tiny smile vanished, "No, only a dog."

"Oh, what's her or his name?"

"Shfix. He's a Border Collie."

"Aw, that's sweet. …Um, if you don't mind me asking, is there something you may be holding back? I can't help but notice you seem quite timid. And I know it's not just anxiety."

The blonde looked to the side again, "I'd rather not talk about it."

"I understand. I'm not bothering you, am I?" the brunette asked. Elsa was rather quick to speak all of the sudden.

"No, no. It's alright. I haven't had a talk like this before. It's actually… really helping me."

The woman giggled, "Well, I'm glad I could help. I am a therapist after all."

The blonde puffed laughter, "Makes sense."

"Mom," a voice then said from the side, "you're not making Elsa uncomfortable, are you?" Anna was seen standing near the door, now in blue pajamas.

"No, Anna, we're just chatting." her mother responded as well with a chuckle. "Say, Elsa!" Iduna then faced the blonde, pointing her finger. "Anna's been looking for a friend recently and works at a children's clinic near a museum, which I assume you must visit."

"Oh, mom, don't say that!" Anna blushed.

The blonde's eyebrows rose, "Yeah, I visit them quite often. Which one?"

"The one off of Ariel Drive. I'm not too familiar with the name."

"Oh, yeah, I know that place."

"Well, maybe you and Anna could hang around sometime." Iduna proposed. Elsa actually broke a smile, though not knowing what feeling pushed her to do so.

"Ye-yeah! That'd be great!" she said, perhaps too excitedly.

"Splendid! What's your number? I could text you from time to time to see when you're available."

"Yeah, that sounds awesome!" the blonde agreed, giving her the digits.

"Alright then. I guess we shall see you next time." Iduna concluded, standing up to watch Elsa out the door. Elsa stood alongside her and made way to the front.

"Yes! Definitely! Oh, and thank you so much for inviting me in for tea. I've never been treated with such kindness." Elsa said, cracking the door open.

"Oh, it was my pleasure! Hopefully we can do this again soon."

"I do, too." She shook the woman's hand for her gratification, "Again, thank you so much for this!" She then took Anna's hand, not anymore frightful of what thoughts came to mind, "And, Anna, thank you for letting me help you! I look forward to meeting with you again!

The redhead was undeniably bashful, "Yes, and to you as well!"

"Take care, you two!" Elsa left from the porch with the wave of her hand. Iduna and Anna waved to her as she entered her car and slowly drove off.

Roughly two and a half hours had passed since Elsa arrived home. She sat silent in her undergarments only thinking about the day that transpired over her. She didn't really understand what she was feeling at this moment or how to embrace its touch, but a warm aura began to form throughout her. She didn't know whether to welcome it or to push it aside, even though its intentions were pure. Completely, Elsa knew this, but her past and the people who abused her built a thick barrier around her.

But Elsa continued to think some more, and suddenly, it struck her. Elsa knew what was confusing her, though it the truth may have just been worse. Elsa thought of Anna, knowing full well she loved her. Loved her…

This was no simple attraction toward another being; this was downright love; perhaps that's why it took so long for Elsa to understand. It was the first time in all the ages of torment that Elsa actually loved somebody not of her own flesh and blood. However, _"How could it ever work out?"_ kept replaying in her head.

The blonde's head began to cramp at the excessive amounts of thoughts popping into her brain. She decided to get some sleep and see how things would play out in the next few days. Still, it would seem these certain thoughts would be harder to dismiss than Elsa thought. To rid them, the blonde stared at the ceiling with her hands rubbing together. She quickly took a breath and opened her mouth to speak.

"Mother… if you're up there… I want to say thank you for giving me this chance… I love you, and I miss you…" With her final word leaving, Elsa felt a tiny pit in her chest begin to open; she needed something—someone to hold. The blonde looked off to the side, and past a table did she see Shfix lying on the carpet. Her hand reached out, and by the snap of her fingers, he awoke.

"Come here, Shfix…" Elsa said in the softest voice she could muster. The young dog made his way over and sat at the side of her bed; he looked somewhat anxious into her eyes. "Come here…" she said, patting the open space on her mattress. The dog blinked a couple times, nervous of his actions. The poor Border Collie only placed his paw upon the mattress, unsure of what he committed. Elsa sighed.

"We've been over this already. Up." she said, but the dog only switched his paws; it was never his fault, though. Elsa picked him up under his arms, lifting him to the bed. Shfix quickly curled himself up before his master could even lie back in her place. Elsa watched and sighed again. It wasn't his fault. It was never his fault. She nudged closer and wrapped her arm over him. Her face buried into his forehead, and by the closing of both their eyes, sleep quite swiftly embraced them.


	3. Chapter 3

Elsa awoke—the sun in its bar of gold shining into her room from through her window. Her eyelids separated with the thick sense to cling back together. Elsa did not let this urge persuade her. She delicately lifted her head up and scanned the floor irrelevantly for any sake of reason. Glow emitted off the wooden floor, and next to the ray lied in a shaded corner Shfix. He continued to sleep with his face between his paws, which lied out in front. She smiled, adoring him in silence for a moment. As a trickle of seconds collected, Elsa gathered her thoughts and remembered how she called him up to the bed and fell under slumber at his side. The blonde smiled, sighing at his predicted action until an abrupt knock triggered in her mind. She recalled the reason for the command given to him. Like her name called behind distant fog, Elsa looked forward and envisioned two faces with their voices a waving trail of purple and orange ribbons. Orange represented the warm, comforting aura of a young, beautiful woman, and purple flowed with serenity from a loving mother, who wore a dress of said colour. The blonde questioned if this memory was a dream, but, just in a second of thought, she knew it was real. Thank heaven it was.

Excitement and fear both began to adhere with an enormous weight down upon Elsa's chest. She lied back on her pillow, facing the ceiling as emotions spun on the wall of her skull. Her limbs became bound to the bed, and budge she could not until she dealt with the situation at hand. Elsa thought and thought hard. Was this a good idea? What would happen? How could it ever work out? How could she maintain a relationship? What if she screws it up? All of these worries beat her down without a hint of weakness or mercy. Elsa could do nothing but succumb, so she readied for the day in the hopes she could face them later.

Elsa had herself a shower before dressing and having breakfast. She sat at her sleek, wooden table, which pressed up against the wall opposite to her fridge, and began to enjoy herself some warm, maple and brown sugar oatmeal. She dazed off for a fair bit of time with her face resting in her palm. She spent the time in her thoughts pondering of inspiration and again the worries that haunted her should she chose to see Anna and Iduna again. However, the blonde seemed not as affected by its wrath, since she felt comfortable, wide awake, and warm in her seat. She started to wonder the positives that would come instead of her fears; although, that seemed to rarely visit as well. The thought that intrigued her most was inspiration and what soon she may make her next sketch of. What she seemed to never rid was the vision of Anna and Iduna and their voices trails of ribbon. Hastily, detail formed clearer, and already did Elsa nearly grab her canvas. As the urge solidified within her muscles, a vibration in her pocket halted her intentions, and she pulled out her phone to see what it was. On her lock screen, a notification saying she had two new messages floated at the top of the screen. Since she had no contacts, this was extremely rare; however, one person did in fact possess her number.

Below the text saying however may messages she had, Iduna's name was written in slightly smaller text. Elsa's eyebrows rose, and, with oatmeal stuffed in one cheek, she unlocked the screen and read. The small messages illuminated unto the blonde, swallowing her food only half-masticated, causing her to choke from her heedlessness. The texts read as the following:

" _Anna works at the clinic tomorrow. Would you be interested in joining her for the day? She begins at 11 AM and ends at noon. It would be greatly appreciated."_

" _Also, I want to say sorry about yesterday. I might have told you about this too suddenly and you may not even want to come. Forgive me if I pressured you to say yes. This is totally up to you. Thank you regardless."_

Elsa stared as if she had been shot. She didn't know what to say or how to reply. She's never done this with anybody before. She held the sides of her face and began to ransack through her mind to piece together the right words. Elsa didn't want to sound stupid and corny. She didn't want to say no, but also began to panic from the frantic stress building up with such swiftness. The blonde could feel her heart pounding and stopped for a sec. She sat upright and slowly let out a few breaths whilst closing her eyes. She squeezed her fingers and slowly opened. She placed a hand upon her heart and again closed her eyes.

"It's OK, Elsa. You can do this… There's no need to panic. This is happening for a reason…" With her whispers, the black of her breath cleared. Elsa looked up to the ceiling, "Mother… please help me." and she took one final inhale.

Elsa began to type letters with the unsubtle jittering of her two thumbs. She wanted to sound formal and was having quite the battle figuring out just how to respond. The blonde sifted through a series of phrases, speaking them out to herself to understand clearly what she was saying.

"Um… 'That sounds lovely'? Ew, no. That's stupid. 'Yes, I am super excited'? Um, no. You are most certainly not super excited. You are nervous, you goof. 'I can't wait'?" Elsa sighed at her failed attempts. She closed her eyes and clenched her fists, once more taking a deep breath, "C'mon, Elsa. This is for Anna. You can do this…" The blonde looked off to the side and tried once more. "Let's just go with the usual… 'Sounds great. I look forward to seeing you again.'" Elsa took a moment to see darkness. "...Good." she concluded, and sent the message.

The blonde then started to create a reply to the second message, typing much faster compared to the first. "'And no, you didn't force me to say yes. I'd love to go.'" Without much thought, Elsa pressed send.

Elsa's heart stopped—a train falling off a cliff. She felt a shock in her body as if her life flashed before her eyes, but all that was seen was gray. She stared vacantly at her open palms and dropped her phone onto the table. She continued to gaze with lifelessness—her hands gradually shaking through the seconds.

"Love… Why did you say love, you idiot!?" Elsa began to panic much more frantically than she should have. "She's gonna know I like Anna now! You said love! It's too late! I sound too excited to go, and she's gonna know why!" Elsa grinded her teeth together and slapped her forehead, leaving a red mark. While reciting her "mistake" in her head over and over, a vibration near her elbow broke her from her grunts of anguish. The blonde released her hand from her face and looked at her phone before grabbing it. Another message glared unto her soul with immense fear to have her stricken under. The only thing left for her to do was open it, as all of her hopes seemed crushed.

" _Fantastic! I'm sure Anna will be thrilled to hear the good news. Like I said, she doesn't have very many friends at all, and I know it's lonely for her to just have me keep her company."_

Another message popped up.

" _What you're doing is a great thing, and we truly can't thank you enough."_

Elsa calmed herself and read over the messages once more. At this moment, she realized that perhaps she was behaving a bit too paranoid. It was indeed common for her to do this from time to time. She paused, taking a brief moment to come to terms with her unstable mind. The blonde became calm, cool, and collected and took in air.

"'Well, I'm happy to help. We all need a friend, don't we?'" She hit send. Elsa rather liked the words she chose. It spoke to her on a much deeper level. Elsa placed the device face down on the table and relaxed back in her chair, shutting her eyelids.

An hour passed. Elsa had found herself alongside Shfix atop the rocks of her mountain. They both treaded casually along a route, which grew quite fond of them. The trail was a huge circle lying upon the sides of hills, which lead to its peak, then fell gradually to where the two of them stay. At the acme of the hill, an even more incredible view was hidden. Beyond the distant waters—a bit to the right of her home—an even greater valley full of mountains much more luscious than her home sat what seemed like galaxies away. With only binoculars could Elsa view it, but even then it was often shrouded behind the clouds of the gods. This point was the main source for Elsa's inspiration. For countless hours she had even stayed there.

Before reaching an hour, the two of them had nearly found their way back. The entire time, while Shfix happily sniffed around and picked at things, Elsa could not keep her mind from the day which lied not far ahead. She pondered the possibilities they could perform, but most seemed farfetched due to Anna's impairment, though the blonde never thought poorly of it. The only thing the blonde was especially worried about was the way she had to behave. If she didn't want it to be awkward, Elsa knew she would have to step her game up, or these dreams of hers could easily be shriveled into specks of ash. Elsa always cowered towards interaction to another human. Had it been anyone else, she would have leaned towards no with not nearly as much thought. However, Anna and Iduna were no ordinary beings; they were the first strangers to ever show Elsa kindness and have her eyes open to the direction of a faded chance called love. Such feelings had been forgotten and quiescent for so long. Finally, they had been reawakened. The blonde had a chance to know comfort and chased after it instead of giving up.

When she arrived at her door and searched for her key, she saw Shfix ready to dig up one of the flowers near her bench. As she pinched the right key with her left, her eyes lit up for second, and her voice called out to him.

"Shfix! Get over here!" The dog whipped his head, realizing his fault the moment her voice hit him. His head hung low immediately, and, as he walked slowly toward her, his teeth showed. This expression was not of anger, but of defense. Shfix never meant any harm to anyone or anything. It was never his fault he had to act this way. Elsa noticed this look; he did it every time a mistake was made. The blonde knew the origin of such behavior and bent, holding her hand out to him.

"It's OK, Shfix. You're a good boy. Don't make that face… Come here." she said in gentle whispers as the fur of his face brushed up against her fingers. As he felt her, the tensing in his face disappeared, looking up into her eyes glowing only with his innocence.

"It's not your fault." It was never his fault.

They walked inside.

After a minute or so, Elsa began to wonder how she would present herself. She sorted out the best of her clothes on her bed and held her chin to think. She wanted something casual—perhaps something a bit sophisticated. While the minutes slid by, more anxious and picky Elsa seemed to get. Panic mode activated, causing her head to tick from side to side like a chicken. An unnecessary amount of worry clung with its claw around her throat, but, with her head snapping forward in a spark of realization, Elsa suddenly saw the insignificance.

"What am I so worried about? She can't even see. …But… what if her mom is there? She'll think a fool of me if I am not dressed appropriately. She'll never let me near Anna again if I look like a slob. Ugh! There's too many variables." holding the sides of her head. The blonde picked herself back up. For the ninth time, she went over each piece she had set out—this time, breaking down the flaws and possibilities.

Elsa first eyed her golden dress full of colourful flowers, "It's nice and innocent… It fits the childlike theme…" The blonde thought some more, but not long after came to a conclusion, as she thought it would be too bright and cause her to stand out; Elsa really didn't want that. "…No." she sighed, and moved to the next.

The second set of clothes was a plaid shirt and black jeans. Elsa thought for a much longer time than for the last, definitely seeing its potential. She was on the fence for roughly a minute, bouncing to either side. Ultimately, her decision came to the words of disagreement. The outfit was not at all bad, but her mind in this feeble state would rather not feel to its groove; but if she still couldn't decide for the following, then perhaps the blonde would submit.

The third was a white tank top placed above another pair of jeans. Elsa groaned in a moment of disgust not knowing why she sat it there; a tank top was not fond for impression and sophistication. Without a second thought, she tossed it to the side and turned to the next.

The fourth set was a black long-sleeved shirt and blue jeans. The blonde seemed to grow a high liking to this choice. It was casual, not outstanding, comfortable, and not too expressive. The blonde picked the top up by the shoulders, feeling it as well as giving it a quick examination. Elsa took off her shirt and switched it with the black—doing the same with her pants. She looked down, feeling her sides and her stomach. The blonde was washed in a pool of relaxation, smiling at the result of her decision. The boost of such abrupt happiness corrupted the nervous sense within her and replaced it with positivity and thrill. All Elsa had to do now was somehow hold onto that feeling until tomorrow would conclude.

A few hours passed. Elsa slept.

Sooner than Elsa had hoped for, the day finally arrived. The blonde awoke at ten and prepared herself. Her heart was racing with both exhilaration and utter distress, not knowing which side was possessing dominance in the battle. Not long, she had dressed herself in her outfit after having a proper breakfast. She stood in front of a mirror taking another good look at herself. She took a fine moment to reassure that this was in fact the ideal thing to wear, and very shortly became certain it was.

Thirty minutes came and went at the speed of sound. As she neared the time closer and closer, the hype within Elsa increased dramatically after every second. Not understanding how, the blonde found herself in her car only fifteen minutes before the deadline would become upon her. She sat for a moment in silence before a vibration in her pocket snapped her awake. The blonde saw another message and opened to read it.

" _Anna and I will be leaving here in a few minutes. I look forward to seeing you again, too."_

Elsa replied rather fast.

" _I'll be leaving here soon as well."_

She sat back in her seat for some time.

With a constant pace in breath, she heard a repeated phrase in her head. Her eyelids shut as she listened to the soothing voice of her mother carry down to Elsa whispers.

" _Be not afraid, my child… Keep your chin up. Be brave… You'll be fine, Elsa… I am with you…"_

Elsa felt a warming touch embrace her cheek. She rubbed it gently with her index and middle finger. Softness was all to be felt. The blonde became light—ridded greatly of her weighted shackles. A smile broke on her face, taking one final breath. Her body was a feather. She exhaled. She drifted through the wind.

Elsa looked forward and headed off.

Elsa was but seconds away and already could see the building in the distance. There was no denying that she did in fact feel nervous, but from the countless times of telling herself that everything would be fine and the prayer from her mother, she learned to counter its wrath far better than she ever thought possible. A light hum kept her mind stabilized, and, with a beat of her heart pounding once in her chest, she turned into the parking lot.

The blonde stopped. Just within meters of her hood, she saw Iduna standing in a coat beside the entrance. She was looking down at her phone, so not yet had she noticed Elsa's arrival. Elsa gulped and heard a whisper saying, "You got this, Elsa. Be brave." The blonde knew musing any longer would do nothing but keep her body at rest. With an sudden impulse, she emerged from her vehicle and walked forward. The idyllic clouds of heaven watched her, and the flames and fears of hell were upon her.

"Hello." Elsa said, not knowing how else to introduce herself.

Iduna looked up—her sprits brightening visibly by the light in her eyes and a great smile, "Elsa! How are you doing? Gosh, it's so nice to see you again!"

"Y-you, too. I'm doing… Well, surviving."

Iduna chuckled, "Oh, is that so? Anyways, I'm glad you came. Come with me. I'll take you to see Anna."

"Alright." Elsa said, and they both headed inside, soon traveling through hallways.

"So how was your day yesterday?"

Elsa was taken aback by such an abrupt question. She quickly tried to gather her mind and stuttered as she spoke. "Oh, I-o-uh… I-I… really didn't do much. I uh… took my dog for a walk as usual. Other than that, it was a pretty bland day."

"Oh, alright. So it was a pretty relaxing day?"

"Yeah, you could put it like that."

"That's always nice." A small moment of silence instantly drowned them. Elsa began to panic, as this was one of the things she feared most. She did not fancy awkwardness—especially to people she actually wanted to grow close to. For the first time, it was her priority to start a conversation. Elsa talked abruptly out of an impulse, though it was fluent.

"What about you two? How was your day? Anything exciting happen?" Once the words left her mouth, an odd feeling of comfort seeped through her. She birthed a new sense of pride for herself. Never had Elsa started a talk with anybody, and she felt quite good at how well she managed. She realized that perhaps all this chatting stuff could be easy after all.

Iduna faced forward to think, "…Not that I recall… Oh, Anna kind of scolded me."

"Oh, why's that?"

"Well, she didn't really prefer the way I asked you to join her."

"What do you mean?"

"She thought it was sort of… I guess you could say rude of me to say that Anna wanted a friend. I guess she believed I just assumed you'd agree, and that probably bothered her a bit. I mean, think about it, would you like it if you had no friends and your mom asked a stranger to fill that part?"

"Well, when you put it that way…"

"This is why I said sorry, and I want to apologize again for putting you in the middle of all this weirdness."

The blonde sighed, "No, no. I think it's good for me that I'm doing something like this. I don't get out much and very rarely talk to anyone, so, really, I should be thanking you. …I've never truly been treated with such kindness and welcoming."

"Oh, well then you are very welcome. Now I don't feel so bad. You know, all things considered, after she did get mad, she thanked me and told me how much she was looking forward to this day."

Elsa smiled, "That makes me even more happy to be with her." giggling very faintly, as what she said contained her own private meaning. The blonde looked forward from the ground and saw an open room up ahead, which Iduna seemed to be heading straight for. When they arrived at the entrance, five children and three older women were inside—each woman sitting at one of the three tables. The tables on the outer sections of the room accompanied two kids, and the one in the middle was a familiar girl in braids sitting with only one child. Iduna entered before Elsa could take a good enough look. She headed for the table in the middle. The blonde followed.

"Anna, Elsa is here now." the brunette said at the side of the girl. Elsa could hear the girl's voice become much more elated with just a slight hint of hesitation.

"Oh, already?!" she said. Elsa walked to her other side.

"Hello, Anna. How are you?" her voice much more confident.

"Oh, I-I'm doing great. What about you?"

"I'm doing just fine." she replied with an innocent giggle. Before anything else was said between them, Iduna lowered back down to Anna's ear.

"Alright, Anna. I'm going to be leaving now." She lifted herself upright, "You two have fun, OK? And, Elsa, don't bring her back too late." she joked, beginning to turn out the door.

Elsa chuckled politely, "I'll try not to." The brunette waved and left.

The blonde turned her head back to the child and woman sitting at the table. The little girl was no doubt blind as well, as seen by her eyes. She noticed a purple box in front of them filled with carved pieces of wood. One was grasped under the fingers of the strawberry blonde, which looked a bit like a person.

"So what are you doing exactly?" the blonde asked.

"Oh, well," Anna said, "um… uh, first, Elsa, this is Samantha. Samantha, Elsa."

"Hello." Elsa said as kindly and softly as she could. The girl sunk a bit.

"…Hi…" she muttered.

"Oh, it's OK." the redhead said to the girl. "She's just a little timid." Anna whispered, leaning toward Elsa.

The blonde only smiled, "No worries."

"Samantha, why don't you go and play for a bit. I'll call you back soon, OK?"

"OK…" she agreed. The blonde watched her carefully make her way to the right of the room where toys and small balls sat in bins.

"Bless her soul." the redhead whispered.

"Cute kid." Elsa replied.

"Yeah… I bet she is…" Anna responded. The blonde's smile instantly vanished.

Elsa's eyes popped with her hands shielding her mouth, "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean-" she was cut short by a few giggles.

"I'm just kidding. Don't worry about it."

Elsa relaxed with a reassuring breath of air, "Oh, heavens… Don't do that."

"I'm sorry." More and more giggles flew from her mouth. Anna's joy made Elsa become clothed in a comforting blanket. It seemed that if Anna was happy, she was happy. It was a reason Elsa was only partially familiar with.

"Well, the last thing I want is to offend you. If there's anything you'd rather I'd avoid saying, please tell me." the blonde said to her.

"Nah, just don't bully me because of this impediment."

The blonde puffed, "Wouldn't dream of it. What kind of friend would I be?" Again, Elsa gasped at the same time her muscles tensed. Proclaiming them as friends by her own tongue with such little time spent between them was prone to provoke worry into Elsa. It was only the second time they had met with one another, and even saying the word "friend" was a danger. This moment between the two of them was only the stepping stone to a potentially greater friendship—the first or second trial to even classify as friends. She only hoped Anna didn't feel as weird about it as she did.

"Well, I guess not a very good one." Anna responded, which to Elsa seemed like a lifetime. Elsa calmed with a cheer of joy screaming inside. Anna accepted it. Elsa could barely believe it.

"Do you have any other friends?" the redhead then asked.

The blonde looked off to the side, "Not really." she chuckled, trying to brighten up the mood as best she could.

"Then I guess we're on the same grounds then."

"I guess so… So anyway, what do you do here?"

"Oh, right. I forgot. So, what I do here is I teach to kids how to cope with their blindness better and show them how to adapt to it. As a… I guess you could say expert, I know the best way to teach kids. We mostly focus on touch to find and get around things best. As, you can see, we have a lot of small objects around the room, which we use for children to understand better. The play area where Samantha is has toy cars for them to feel and learn when they get a break. Would you like me to show you?"

Elsa's eyebrows shot up, "I think that'd be fun."

"Alright, place your hands on the table and close your eyes." The blonde did as told. After a second, she felt her arms being pulled; she didn't quite know how to react to such soft, warm, and welcoming hands. "OK, now," Anna placed one of the wooden pieces in Elsa's hands, "what are you holding? Describe it to me as you're thinking.

The blonde became a bit hesitant, as she didn't want to fail in front of her, "Um… I feel points…"

"Good, good."

"…They are… on top of each other…"

"Keep going."

"It kind of feels like multiple arrowheads… Wait… is it a tree?"

"You got it!" Anna cheered, lightly tapping her hands together. Elsa opened her eyes and looked at the small, wooden tree in her palm, grinning proudly at herself as the strawberry blonde applauded for her.

"Want to try again? I'll make it harder, though…"

Elsa eyed Anna with a cocky smirk, "…Bring it." she said playfully. The blonde could feel Anna's excitement begin to spark. She found it heartwarming.

"OK… try… this one." She placed the object in Elsa's hand. Elsa already started to have a much more difficult time trying to decipher the larger, flatter piece of oak now embedded behind her fingers.

"It is… mostly flat… and long. Very smooth, but has bumps and ripples on the sides." Elsa closed the object down flat on one hand and immediately recognized four bumps. Two were at one end, and the others at the other. As she thought for a second, the word popped in.

"A car?"

"Yay! That's another one right. You've done well, though those were the easiest ones. We could play again later, but I think I should call back Samantha now."

"Oh, that's too bad. I enjoyed that." Elsa said after Anna had called her.

"Thank you. I'm glad you did. You know, I was worried you would think this is boring."

"Oh, not at all. I already said this to your mother, but it's actually nice to be out of the house for once. It seems like I've been there for years without even getting out of bed. At this point, anything is interesting. …Most of them scare me." Elsa mumbled at the end.

Anna giggled politely, "So if you talked to my mom, then she must've told you about what I said?"

"Yeah, she did."

"Well, because I didn't get to say this sooner, and I already know she's told you, I am sorry that you had to come to this. I said-"

"Anna, please don't feel sorry for me. I already know what's been said, and believe me, it was a shocker for me, too. But… I want you to know that I didn't think about not coming first. I was actually happy that someone wanted to invite me to something, and, yes, I did have my doubts. But now that I've committed, I feel great, and I don't want you to think strangely of it."

Anna exhaled, "Thank you… That's a huge weight off my chest. I was so worried you weren't going to like this."

"You are very welcome."

Time seemed to pass as if minutes were seconds. As Anna continued to teach, Elsa began to learn at an efficient pace how to embrace blindness. With laughter and merriment sprouting, a bond greater than they already knew continued to expand rapidly. A more open side of Samantha grew as well; Elsa learned that she always dreamt of being a firefighter; however, it would seem fate decided to push her in another direction.

Like a flash of lightning, the time had ended, and now they were free for a bit to do whatever may strike their mind. After Elsa did all to help clean up, they sat at the table as Anna was still gathering her things together. The blonde looked around the room, caught for a moment in her own daydream. She took in a breath and asked Anna a question out of her usual conventions.

"Do you want to go get some coffee?"

Elsa was punched in the gut by yet another outburst of her tongue. Her head felt as if it were compressing while she scolded herself. Her voice screaming things like, _"you idiot"_ began to ring about. Elsa cowered again. She worried if what she said was perhaps too forward and revealing of her hidden preferences. The blonde was forced into regret until the girl beside her responded. These times for Elsa always seemed like centuries.

"I would! That sounds great!"

Elsa snapped back and did her best to sound calm, "Good… Let us be on our way then." The blonde cringed.

As they entered the first hall, Elsa carefully guided Anna through the door, nearly forgetting she had to lead her the way. She took a glance at the girl's hand and smiled knowing the redhead couldn't see it. The blonde enjoyed having to be her caretaker from the fact that she had to be so much closer to her. Unlike last time, where she quivered from interaction, Elsa made an attempt to embrace her touch and immediately was surrounded in the same feeling. It was a touch of happiness unborn from anything she had ever experienced. Peace, warmth, and a small speck of love became one with her body and soul, yet this was only a fraction of what the blonde could sense. Elsa knew the only way to crack it was to continue on with their newfound friendship. It would take complete time and effort, but Elsa knew the result would be worth every bit of her power.

She held Anna's hand and began to walk through the corridors. They passed many children, parents, and employees and were just a few steps away from the exit. As they neared an oncoming door to the right, a blonde girl with her hair in a ponytail came out, running to another woman—her mother, assumingly. She was intending to keep moving, but her eyes seemed to get a glance at Anna, and she stopped for a sec.

"Anna!" she said with joy.

The redhead stopped and smiled, "Ellie!" lowering down and spreading out her arms. Elsa watched the two of them hug before Anna stood and introduced.

"Ellie, this is my friend Elsa. Elsa, this is Ellie."

The blonde smiled, "Hello there." The kid moved to speak, but suddenly looked as if she were confused. She locked her fingers in front and halted bouncing. Right then, she opened to speak.

"You… you look like the queen in Frozen."

Elsa bent over with her hands on her knees, "Oh, that's not a movie I've ever heard before." Before anything else could be said, the little girl's assumed mother called to her. Ellie snapped to the right before saying her goodbyes and dashing off. Elsa watched her, still plastered with a smile. A grip to her hand broke her from her eyeing, and the two of them continued forward.

"Adorable little thing." Elsa said gaily.

"Yeah. She keeps saying I look like the princess, though I have no idea what she's talking about." They both chuckled.

Shortly, Elsa had fixed Anna safely in her passenger seat and revved up the engine of her car. They were off not much long after. Throughout the trip, only laughter was among them. They both seemed to fit together perfectly like two puzzle pieces. They began to learn so much more about each other, but still nothing from the past had been mentioned for a reason to hopefully disregard for the time being. The more she heard Anna's soft voice in all of elation, the more Elsa seemed to forget about her past and become welcomed into a life where she would actually thrive fond of happiness and know there was someone who she could connect with.

After countless stories, they had arrived in what only seemed like a single minute at a small café. Elsa visited the establishment often, as it held very few people. The two of them exited the vehicle and headed inside. They walked up to the counter and placed in their orders—the blonde getting a regular coffee, which she would add sugar and whatever to, and the strawberry blonde getting a vanilla mocha. A young boy shortly came up with the two drinks in hand. With his right, he passed the coffee to Elsa.

"One coffee for you," He then looked at Anna, "and a vanilla mocha for your sister."

Elsa was quick to speak, "Oh, she's not my sister."

"Oh, my mistake." the boy said, shaking his head lightly.

"It's OK." Elsa concluded, and they soon found their seats.

The two of them sat at a round table next to a window and waited a couple minutes for their drinks to cool down. The two of them were the only people inside, and Elsa used this opportunity to gaze at the glowing beauty before her. All noise around her disappeared, except the adorable breath from Anna's attempt to chill her steaming cup. The blonde rested her elbow on the table with her cheek to her palm. There was no more denying the feelings Elsa had for her, so she decided to make the best of what she felt. Her eyes traveled every inch of her face and skin, adoring the woman greater by every new aspect she discovered. Smiling, she trailed down to her neck, but immediately broke from her thoughts as she continued lower. Elsa stared for only a second, yet it seemed like one whole minute. She worried if anyone could of saw. The blonde quickly eyed the plumpness of Anna's chest and shot back up.

" _Don't do it, Elsa."_ she repeated in her mind. _"Don't take advantage of her visual impairment. You know better."_ The blonde said sternly to herself and opened to look straight, though, now that it had been given enough thought, she couldn't help but do so.

"How much was this?" Anna said abruptly.

"Why do you ask?"

"So I can pay you back."

"No, no, no. Don't worry about it. You don't have to."

"Oh, come on."

"No, it's all on me. Besides, it's just, like, a dollar."

"You're sure?"

"I said don't worry about it."

Anna sighed, "Well, even if it's just a dollar, it was very sweet of you."

"You're welcome."

"Also… thank you for today… really. I don't know about you, but… I had a really great time. I haven't had a day like this in so long, so with all of my heart, I thank you, Elsa."

Elsa blushed and rubbed the back of her neck. She was a bit happy Anna couldn't see it, "Well, you know, I had a lot of fun, too. I mean it. I got to know you so much more, and I'm so relieved and happy I came. I… actually really hope we can do this again sometime."

Anna blushed this time, "I would like to as well. …I'm proud to call you my friend." The blonde's already high spirits spiked like never before.

"I feel the same way." Elsa exhaled with a great grin. When she opened her eyes, she noticed the redhead was about to take her first sip, so she leaned forward and helped her. She grabbed over the back of Anna's right hand with her left and held as light as she could the bottom of the cup, so the she wouldn't pour it too hastily.

"Careful." the blonde told her.

After, the redhead placed the cup back on the table and licked her lips. Cream and chocolate still stuck to the sides of her face. Elsa quickly grabbed a napkin.

"Hold still." Elsa said, gently touching the strawberry blonde's chin whilst she wiped the liquid off her face. Elsa felt as if she were holding up a cloud. Anna's skin was so amazingly soft and smooth, and the smile the redhead showed only made the situation much more adoring and divine. The blonde couldn't help but smile back.

"Oh, I forgot to ask. Would you happen to know the time?" Anna said after another sip.

"Yeah, it's, uh… twelve thirty-two."

"OK. My mom said she wanted me back before one just in case anything weird did happen between us. Luckily it didn't, though."

"Oh, alright. That seems like a good idea for meeting new people."

"I agree. You wouldn't want it to be awkward and then realize you still have hours until they have to leave, right?"

"Did I make you feel awkward?"

Anna shook with both her hands and head, "No, no, no! I didn't mean it like that!"

Elsa laughed, "I'm just teasing. …Well, then, I suppose we should be on our way."

"OK." Anna finished, and they headed out the door, throwing their cups in the trash.

The ride back was much greatly quieter, though the silence appeared to be more relaxing than anything else. There was no gauche in the atmosphere as they would have expected, but perhaps it was just the pure stillness after so much chatting that let themselves be without it all. Soft tunes helped as well to distract them until the slowing of Elsa's car signaled preparation to leave. The redhead heard Elsa unbuckle, but halted herself from doing the same. She took a breath—her mouth open, trying to find words to say before the blonde would exit. Swiftly, she placed a hand on her shoulder and spoke after three seconds. Elsa faced her, waiting for an explanation.

"Wait… Elsa, again, I just want to say thank you so much for everything. I'm so grateful that you would take time out of your day just to spend it with a poor soul like me. Because of you, I've finally found a friend and someone to talk to, and I hope we can grow closer together. …Once more, thank you, and I would absolutely love to do this again."

Elsa was astonished—her face struck with awe. For a moment, all she could do was smile, but faster than she thought, she responded—gentle with her words, "No, Anna… thank you. I couldn't have asked for a better day. …I want to do this again, too." There was a very brief moment of silence. "Shall I walk you to the door?" Elsa asked.

Anna could tell she was smiling, "I'd like that." The two of them interlocked fingers and headed up to the steps. They arrived at the door within just a few seconds, but refrained from touching the knob. Elsa looked at her, realizing not that she was gazing as a lover would. She could sense Anna had one more thing to say and waited as long as the redhead needed to piece it together.

"So I guess this is goodbye for now…"

Elsa giggled lightly, "It's definitely not the last."

Anna giggled back, "That's what I wanted to hear." The redhead knocked.

Iduna opened the door with another great smile and hugged her daughter before looking over at the blonde. She greeted Elsa with her cheerful "hello" and took half a step forward. Elsa, being as formal as she could, stuck out her hand for a handshake. The brunette eyed it, then took a full step.

"Oh, c'mon." Iduna said, and she wrapped around Elsa tightly. The blonde widened her eyes at such an open gesture, but could not keep her face straight. Elsa chuckled and held her back before the woman let go.

"Yeah, my mom really likes hugs." Anna joked.

"Who doesn't? It's the best way to greet people!" Iduna said with limitless joy. She let the girls enter and talked again as Anna took off her shoes. "So did you two have fun?"

"Sure did." the strawberry blonde replied. Iduna then looked at Elsa.

"Yup." the blonde replied smiling.

"That's good. Elsa, would you like to come in for tea?" Before Elsa said anything, the redhead quickly whispered to her.

"Told you she does this every time." The blonde just laughed.

She hesitated for only a second, "Uh… I-I'd love to, but I should probably get back to Shfix and see how he's doing. He doesn't bode well when alone for very long. It's not that I don't want to or anything."

The woman smiled adorably at Elsa's small rambling, "Of course. We understand."

Elsa nodded and turned herself a quarter to the door, "Alright then. Thank you for inviting me."

Iduna waved her hand, "Oh, anytime."

"And, Anna, I had fun. Please tell me whenever you want to do this again."

The redhead blushed, "I'll be sure to. Thank you."

"Goodbye for now." the blonde waved as she turned the doorknob.

"Bye!" they both said, smiling as Elsa disappeared behind the whitened wood.

Elsa busted open her door with nothing but an overjoyed smile on her face. She charged at Shfix, who, with his eyes wide and alert, whipped his head in the direction of the door. He backed up as fast as he could, slipping on the ground in his great attempt to flee. She grabbed him and held as tight as she could; Elsa could only imagine what must've been going on in his mind.

"Oh, Shfix, I just had the greatest day of my life!" she cheered in all the joy of the world. She let go, jumped back on the balls of her feet, and began spinning with her fists just below her throat.

"I have a friend! I have a friend!" she yelled repeated times; her energy couldn't have been more hype. After the sixth time, she leaped on top of her bed and hugged her pillow with all her strength. The blonde stuffed her face in it and screamed for about ten seconds straight. After, she took a moment to repose, though her heart still kept her blood fuming. She sat up against the wall and took a few very deep inhales. Gradually, she became immensely less hot. Elsa held her chest, feeling her heart rate; the pace was so rapid that she wondered if having gone any longer she could have been struck with a heart attack. Regardless, Elsa collected herself and sat for a moment in utter silence. She then looked up to the ceiling and spoke.

"Mother, thank you for everything today. Thank you for giving me courage and for helping me create a bond with Anna. I only ask that you continue to help me, and please don't let this chance slip away. I love you, mom… I miss you…"

Elsa stood up and wondered what to do next. She thought maybe it'd be good to relax for the rest of the day, although her blood seemed to disagree. Even after calming her spirit, her body was still as manic as could be. The pumping intensity shot back into her after a few seconds, and she knew watching TV or going on her phone was not an activity ideal for such craze. Ideas popped in her head, and Elsa realized all she wanted to do was draw. She wanted to draw and draw until she passed out. She wanted to illustrate every single scene she had with Anna since the very beginning. The blonde looked forward, dashed into her closet, and grabbed a blank canvas. Elsa sat down on her bed once again, placed the stand in front of her, and tightly gripped her brush. With one single breath, she pressed onto it, drifting past hours and hours to the day's end.


	4. Chapter 4

Elsa awoke again—confused at what her eyes seemed to be pointing at. She saw her fridge staring back at her as if it were also asking what she was doing. She was not lying down and felt something odd on her cheek, neck, and arm. The blonde sat herself upright in the chair she found herself on, and the feeling upon her skin only seemed to follow. A light weight abruptly fell off and landed with a thud. Elsa looked down after the realization she was present at her kitchen table. Elsa saw a canvas plastered in the ruins of her slumber. Colours were smeared and smudged in a somewhat visible imprint of her body. Noticing this, Elsa looked down at herself and saw the half she took with her—a rainbow of goo trailing all the way down to the shirt on her chest.

Elsa touched her cheek and looked at the paint on her two fingers. She stared, trying her best to envision what happened before sleep had taken her last night. She looked further up the table and saw two more paintings—these one's not blemished by her assent to exhaustion. Elsa rose to her feet and stepped to the table's side. The picture on the right was a sunset falling behind the green of two hilltops. With closer examination, she noticed just how rushed the drawing was due to the great lack of facet. Elsa was always one to take her art passionate and carefully, so this was bound to capture her attention, although the shading of orange to black worked rather well with it. It was equal to an eight-year-old's art.

The portrait on the left showed the backside of a silhouette of a girl standing at the bottom center of the canvas. She was small and facing upwards with her hands up to the sides. A ray of white shot outwards, forming the shape of a V. Clouds of scribbles and spirals were placed in the light. Elsa certainly didn't remember this one, but she knew it was some sort of an expression.

Elsa took a moment to step back and collect her thoughts. With her hands braced on the edge of the table, she let her head hang and mused. She walked through here memories step-by-step. She came home, ran to Shfix, sat on her bed, then got up. What happened after that? Elsa was struck dumbfounded at her failure to grasp an answer. All Elsa could remember was a glimpse of her mother's face. And then everything was black.

Elsa sighed, lightly shaking her head to the sides. She exhaled a large gust of air through her nose and opened her eyes after to gaze out the window. But before she looked upwards, an object from the very left corner of her eye seized her from performing her intentions. The corner of some sort of rectangle or square lied upon the opposite chair almost as if it were meaning to hide from her. The blonde paused but a moment—wonder and question in her brow; the room was dead silent. Elsa reached slowly—by each fraction closer did she become gradually more hesitant. Something strong was holding her back; she couldn't let it power over her. Her hand connected with it much swifter than her eyes seemed to tell. Elsa's arm tensed, and she picked it up and held it in front.

Anna's beautiful face stood before Elsa as if she were present with her. The warmth of a hug coated around her, striking the blonde like a flash of lightning. Elsa was in an awe beyond words. She could not believe she possessed the power to make something so immaculate—and without memory, no less. Elsa gazed at it for what could've possibly been a few hours; she did not know nor care. It was as if Elsa had taken a picture of her; there was no other way to describe it. Anna's freckles might have even been in the same spot. Her glowing, orange hair sparkled like glitter, and her adorable, little smile was too far for Elsa to comprehend. Anna was so pristine—so perfect. What were the chances the blonde could have met this angel? Not knowing the exact reason why, a tear ran down Elsa's cheek. Ringing, it hit the floor like the first drop of a rainfall.

Moments passed.

For the next thirty minutes, Elsa spent her time in the shower. She would have taken much shorter if it weren't for the excessive activity of her mind. Elsa stood with her arms crossed, staring utterly blank at the wall for minutes at a time, completely forgetting where she was. The water spraying on her face wasn't even enough to break her thoughts. Anna wouldn't get out of her head. Elsa couldn't deny it. She loved her.

Elsa eventually exited from the shower and got dressed and ready for the day ahead. As she opened the door to leave the bathroom, she saw Shfix sitting and staring at her with his innocent and shy eyes. His tail wagged once he saw her, but he did not stand to greet her. He waited patiently and politely for his permission to move. With a sigh and smile, the blonde bent and pat her legs, only for the Border Collie to tread slowly in her path—his tail still wagging, but his head low. Elsa embraced him with a welcoming hug before kissing him several times and petting all over. He returned his affection by licking her face. Elsa giggled and closed her eyes for his attack.

"Are you hungry?" she asked playfully. Shfix stopped moving, but his tail shook more rapid than before. "You hungry!?" she stood up. Shfix licked his nose and sat politely again. Elsa giggled at his expected action. "You're such a goof. You don't need to wait for my approval every time. …I guess it doesn't matter, though. It's not your fault." Elsa walked over to the closet and prepared his breakfast.

As his bowl was set down outside next to the door, Elsa listened to the clanking of his feast while gazing out unto the sunlight through a window—her head resting atop her folded arms on the sill. She stared toward a tree only a few meters out and to the left of where she currently stood. Her mind executed play, and a scene began playing in front of her. Elsa imagined her sitting in the tree's shade, watching the sunset with a familiar girl at her side. They were wrapped in each other's arms—their heads resting together. A gentle breeze would brush against them, so they would have to press even closer for warmth. Elsa looked to the right and leaned in for Anna's lips.

Two scratches at the door nearly caused Elsa to jolt in fright. She looked right out of the window and saw Shfix ready to be let in. A bit confused, she rose to her toes and saw his bowl completely empty. The blonde stepped back and furrowed her brow. Shfix couldn't have possibly been done already. He always took his time to eat and even after would sniff around for a bit. It had only been a minute, or so Elsa thought. How long did she stay there for?

Regardless, Elsa let the boy in and proceeded to get on with her morning. The first thing was breakfast, and with a couple eggs and some toast, she had herself a hearty meal. She stood up afterwards, washed her plate, then wondered what to do next. Would she go somewhere? Would she paint? Elsa eyed at different parts of the room to find her answer. To the left, she spotted her weights in the distance like a chocolate bar in a dark alley. Elsa was hesitant to come to her decision but knew it would benefit in the end; after all, it had been a few days since she last held them.

Once Elsa was ready to accept it, she found herself but a step away from her collection of weights. Her head turned up and took a second or two to glance at the machine as well. She looked down again. It seemed her choice of attire for the morning would be off to a poor start. Certainly tight jeans and a buttoned up shirt would not suffice for such an occasion. Elsa turned to the wooden bearer of her garments and was back not long after.

The blonde returned in a white tank top and grey sweatpants. She inhaled once, staring out the window unto the coloured cluster of the sky and ground. She bent over with her hands to her knees and let her neck loose.

For the next hour, Elsa had herself busy in an intense back and bicep workout. She would perform different exercises in a single set and would repeat each set three or four times. Some exercises were twenty pound bicep curls, wide-grip lat pulldowns, both wide and narrow pull-ups, reverse flyes, and more.

It seemed like three days of torture, but Elsa was finished just after noon. She fixed herself up a thick shake and a protein bar and planned to seat herself at the kitchen table and maybe fool around on her phone. The blonde stopped, though, in her tracks. She had forgotten to clear the table of her mysterious portraits. Setting her drink aside, the blonde crept towards the four legged plank of timber—her feet having a strangely loud click. Immediately, Elsa grew a pain in her chest, but when she slowly lifted her delicate hand to placate its heat, it fled.

Anna lied flat atop the table staring back at the blonde no less intense than Elsa herself was staring at the painting. She felt as if Anna's presence was among her, and she even shook her head, hoping it was the empty atmosphere of her own inhabitance tampering with her mind to make her think another being was close. A ring in her subconscious grew louder as an impulse unknown if Elsa had composed it herself forced her hand to reach forward. Her vision seemed to be stretching away from her, and soon it looked like the table which stood only a foot in front of her was now a meter away. Elsa blinked. Something was in her hand.

The blonde opened to see herself holding the frame of the girl in braids. Everything was quiet again, and little did Elsa know she was panting. Elsa could feel her heart thumping off her ribcage. She glanced down, blinking a couple times in disbelief. The blonde turned her head left toward the sound of a high-pitched squeal. Shfix was sitting again—his tail wagging fast; there was concern in his eyes. Elsa faced forward, taking the portrait in both hands. She shook her head once more and sighed.

"…Get it together, Elsa. You're losing your mind." The blonde quickly took the other paintings and walked away. She placed them on her bed, deciding to deal with them later; she had no idea what to do with them or where to put them. Elsa took a step back and spun around to leave but caught herself looking back for a few long seconds. She returned to the kitchen, grabbed her drink, and sat down like she hadn't seen a chair in days.

The very moment she turned the screen of her phone on, a message came in; there was only one person it could have been. Elsa's eyes sparked with excitement and joy, and she unlocked the screen as fast as she could. Her heart began to race again; her blood was pumping intensely. She quickly gulped down the shake filled in her cheeks, almost gagging due to her lack of concern. Elsa blinked, and before her waited Iduna's message to be read. Elsa could feel it almost longing for her.

" _Hey, so Anna was wondering if you'd like to come over and help her with some chores today. I'd do it myself, but I just received notice about a meeting that I absolutely must attend. Please text back as soon as possible."_

Elsa was extremely quick to respond. She replied: _"I'd be happy to help. What do I need to do?"_ There was a thirty second pause before the next message arrived.

" _It's basically just cleaning her room. She needs help organizing things and help with her clothes. Sorry this is such short notice."_

" _Oh, don't worry about it. Stuff like this happens. Do you have to leave shortly?"_

Another pause.

" _Yes, and it would be helpful if you could come as soon as possible."_

Elsa nearly stood up and left the moment she read it. _"No worries. I'll be leaving as quickly as I can."_ The blonde got to her feet, changed, and readied up her things. As she headed to the garage door, she looked back and saw Shfix sitting again with that innocent and irresistible face of his. He looked as if he was asking where she was going and if she would ever return. Elsa held the knob but quickly dashed over to him.

"I'll only be gone for a couple hours, Shfix." the blonde whispered into his soft fur. "Don't panic and don't do anything. I'll be back soon. I love you." Elsa kissed him and headed out the door to enter her car. She felt a vibration in her pants and quickly pulled out her phone. Iduna spoke again.

" _Thank you so much! Seriously, I am so grateful. Just know that I may not be there when you arrive. Just knock, and Anna will answer the door."_

" _No problem at all. I'm on my way."_

There was a brief moment of hesitation. Elsa knew there was no reason to worry. There was no turning back.

It was like Elsa traveled through time. Just a moment ago, she was sitting in the dark of her garage, and as she blinked, she saw herself sitting before Iduna's front porch. She stayed there in silence for only a few seconds, thinking to herself again why she need not worry. It was just the two of them again. Elsa only hoped she wouldn't hurt her and pleaded that it would be just as fun as last time. Elsa exited the car before she thought of anything that would cause her to reconsider. The door shut to her side, and she embraced the howl of the wind against her; it made her feel empowered.

Her knuckles banged on the white door three times— _knock, knock, knock._ Her head faced down as her eyes shut fairly slowly. A repeated phrase ringed in her head. It told her not to worry. Elsa thought about seeing Anna and how much she made her smile. It set her mind at ease almost instantly.

The doorknob in front of her jingled and clicked. Elsa had a burst of dread. It turned left and the door opened just slightly. There was nobody at first. Then, two red braids and a face popped out. Elsa couldn't help but smile. A tear nearly shed from her eye. The blonde covered her mouth, so the girl could not hear her overexcitement.

"Elsa?" the young woman said.

The blonde removed her hand, "Anna!" she said very happily. The redhead grew an enormous smile and bounced in joy. Elsa's heart rate matched Anna's pace.

"Elsa! Oh, yay, you're here! For a second, I thought it could've been a murderer at the door."

Elsa giggled, "Oh, no. I couldn't hurt a fly."

Anna then giggled after her and spoke again before a pause came, "Well, come in, come in!" She backed a few feet for Elsa to have room. "So my mother probably told you what I need help with?" the girl said. She turned and felt around, slowly making her way in the direction where their business would most likely take place. Elsa watched while she took off her shoes.

"Yes, she did."

"OK, good. Again, I'm sorry if she guilt-tripped you into doing this."

Elsa stopped her before she could continue, "Anna, it's OK, really. Your mother did not and has not guilt-tripped me into doing anything. I come here because I want to, and if I don't for some odd reason, I will tell you. But please don't think of it like that. You're my friend, and…" it pained her to say it, not of course because she was lying, "I like spending time with you."

For a moment, Elsa thought Anna's only response was a sigh, and she instantly regretted everything. But Anna spoke—soft were her words.

"I'm sorry. It's just… you'd be the only one to say that. …Thank you."

"No worries. I understand. …Shall we get to work, then?"

Anna giggled, trying to lighten up the mood, "We shall. Come with me." The redhead faced away and again returned to feeling all over to gradually make her way through the house. Elsa acknowledged her struggle and quickly stepped over to assist her.

"Would you like if I helped you?" The blonde immediately froze with her hair on end. She had not realized her question may be rude. Her breath was withheld.

"I would, yes." Anna replied with her hand braced up against the wall. Elsa opened a single eye at the contact of the girl's words. She let go a large but silent exhale to avoid possible questioning. Elsa stepped up behind her and took Anna by the left hand and right shoulder.

"OK, where are we off to?" the blonde then asked. She felt much more comfortable and warm in the girl's embrace. Perhaps Anna did as well.

"Just down this hall and the door to the left." The blonde's only sign of acknowledgment was their heading.

After only three or four steps, the blonde came in contact with the knob, opening it expecting to see her room. Instead, a staircase came across her, and she carefully led Anna the way down. Another hallway was next to pass. There was two doors on the right and one on the end.

"Now, it's the second door on the right." Anna spoke up. Elsa walked with her past bookshelves and cabinets, swiftly approaching until finally they entered.

A light brown room clotted with stickers on the walls struck Elsa in adulation. She seemed to fancy Anna's taste—perhaps her mother's due to her impairment—in decoration and humour. It made her feel welcome and happy as cartoon characters and princesses smiled at her with little quips and phrases. She felt the carpet beneath her feet and looked down, catching a pile of clothes, boxes, and other small, random objects strewn over the ground. Before she asked, she took another moment to admire stickers found on the ceiling.

"Right. Your mom said you needed help with your clothes and such. What should we start out with first?"

"Well, I think the best thing would be to pick up all of these toys. I wouldn't want you to step on one. Believe me, it sucks."

Elsa did her best to hold back a giggle, but it seeped past her fingers like water through a drain, "Oh, that doesn't sound very fun. But good idea."

"Alright. Let's get to it, then. You wouldn't mind helping me find a good place to sit, right?"

"No, of course not." The blonde immediately took the girl and carefully led her to the center of the room. She set her down cross-legged and did the same herself. At the start of the moment, Anna began to feel and collect the things around her.

"Is there an empty box anywhere around here?" the girl asked. Elsa noticed her hands caressing the figures. She must've been trying to figure out which ones they were.

"Uh, yeah." the blonde answered after the delay of watching Anna's finger movements. She reached to the side to put back betwixt them a somewhat diminutive package. Anna placed the two toys in and continued.

"Yeah, I don't actually use these toys to play with." the redhead said.

"Oh, really?" Elsa questioned, halting with her body turned to the right and a toy in her left palm. Her right was open to grab another.

"No, but I really love feeling them. I love trying to imagine what they look like by how they feel. It really calms me, and I can spend hours at a time doing it."

"Fascinating!" Elsa commented with her hand under her chin.

"Thank you. Y'know, being blind isn't the worst. My mother told me how our family comes from a long line of optimists, so I guess fate decided I'd be the one to have it in the place of someone else. There have been times of course where I've cried and sat in a corner, but I've learned to cope with it. I love everything I have, and I love my mother. I wouldn't want to be anybody else."

A subtle "wow…" was all Elsa could mutter in response.

"Well, enough pity and sadness. How 'bout you, Elsa?" The blonde straightened and blinked a couple times. "Tell me about yourself. What's your life like?" Elsa flicked back. She blinked in confusion. Her hands tensed, and she glanced down to see a doll in her left hand. A quiet ringed for her. Her eyes scanned the room in a blur of under a second. Realization snapped back to her. She looked at the redhead for the second time.

Subconsciously, Elsa had turned and been gazing at Anna with her chin resting on her hand. She completely stopped helping, and the box already seemed to be half full. She tried to collect herself to answer Anna's question, but a crack in her mind felt like years to seal.

"Uh… sorry. Um… I, uh…" she let herself take a breath. "Well, you're mother may have told you this, but I am an artist. I live alone on the side of a mountain with my dog… And, well… I guess that's pretty much it. My life's not that exciting, but I like that way." While letting Anna invoke her response, Elsa placed two toys in the bin.

"You're an artist! Wow, what's that like?" the giddily girl replied. She was just heaping with interest and joy. The blonde couldn't stop a smile from it.

"It's fun when you get going, but there are some days where I'll be completely lost trying to find inspiration." The redhead's smile stretched ear to ear. Her response was but a second before Elsa could inhale fully.

"What are some things you've made?"

"I…" Elsa meant to speak but a shock came as if it were to paralyze her. In the flash of the moment, all that came to mind was the portrait of Anna. The greed of her mind wouldn't let cross even a single painting different. Staring straight at Anna only made her victim to the thought more. Elsa couldn't fill the gap.

"…I… Th-there's… Um, uh… Agh!" She held her head tightly. Nothing would come out.

"Are you OK?" Anna asked, it seemed, very worriedly. Her concern pleased Elsa—calming her to a great degree. The blonde felt as if she had been fixed.

"Yeah. Sorry, I'm fine. Um…" Elsa still wasn't quite sure what to say. "Well… it's kinda hard to say. I mean, I've made countless pieces through the years, so I don't really know. I've made a few about nature and the outdoors. Some come from my own personal… fantasies, I guess you could say. Most are abstract, so, yeah, it's difficult to explain." Elsa put a finger to her teeth hoping Anna wouldn't catch her obscurity.

"Oh, no, I understand." It seemed Anna bought it. "Hmm… How about your love life?"

Elsa went into total alert. Her eyes widened bigger than the sun, "Uh… Ahem…" she coughed and cleared her throat, "Um, I-I, uh… Love life?"

"Yeah, y'know. How's the men treating you?"

Elsa blinked in confusion a couple times, "Men?"

"Yeah, well, I've never seen one before, but apparently us girls are supposed to like them. It's the, uh… social norm, if you will, for girls to chat about."

"That's not true." Elsa thought. Her actual words weren't the same. She didn't feel right to continue. Her past was hell due to this subject. Everybody abused her for what she preferred, but what would Anna think? She could be no different. Her one chance at friendship would die again if perhaps she exposed what was hidden within her. Elsa couldn't take that risk. It hurt her to lie, but the wound would be nothing compared to the possible result of the truth. There was no other way. Elsa began to feel empty—empty when she had no one.

"…I don't have a love life." There was obvious weakness in her voice. Anna could almost feel the tears forming in Elsa's eyes. She didn't know what it meant or why she felt this way. Anna didn't care to reside there any longer. The redhead changed topic instantly, never showing intention or care to look back. Elsa was more important. She needed Anna.

"How about your dog? What's she or he like?" The blonde smiled for a moment. She knew Anna transitioned upon another topic purposely. It was because she cared, and the fact nearly made Elsa bawl. A sniffle was heard as if it were not so great at hide-and-seek.

"He's a Border Collie named Shfix." Elsa giggled in the midst of her tears.

"Interesting! They're the smartest breed, I hear."

"They are…" the blonde rubbed her eyes. Another sniffle filled the air, and then there was silence. Elsa heard a quick rustle of Anna's clothing and looked up. The redhead sat with her arms wide open.

"Come here…" she said. Anna had a smile to better welcome her friend.

Not quickly, Elsa leaned into Anna. The redhead could feel Elsa's heartbeat against her but there was not a rumor of sound. Elsa held as tight as she could, not quite realizing how hard she was squeezing, though Anna did not say anything; she deserved this. The blonde's eyes shut deep in content. She began to realize how much she missed this feeling. It almost felt entirely new. Elsa had forgotten. How many years had it been? Far too long.

It was a good thirty seconds. The grip against Anna did not change or release even the slightest. Still, Elsa was on her, and Anna would wait for as long as she needed. The redhead focused her attention to the beat of a heart. A smile crept on her face, as very gradually the beat drummed louder; the organ fetched for her skin as if it pleaded for closeness. A sudden gap of freedom caused Anna to raise her eyes out of impulse. She remained stationary as Elsa talked.

"Thank you."

Anna shook her head, "Don't mention it. …I understand. There was something I shouldn't have brought up."

"It's not your fault. I just don't want things to be weird right now."

"Well, they don't have to be. Let's just put this aside for now and continue working. How 'bout that?"

Elsa smiled, almost breaking a giggle, "Sounds good. I'd like that."

"Listen, if there's anything you need, want, or would rather not talk about, just say."

Elsa nodded regardless if Anna couldn't see, "Alright. Thank you."

"Are you OK?" the redhead asked as her final question. Her hand held the blonde's left shoulder. Again, the fact she cared made Elsa brim with inexorable joy.

The blonde smiled at that adorable face, "I'm OK."

"Good…" There was a pause as the two smiled. "Well, how 'bout we get goin', then? Shall we continue?"

Elsa understood this time, snapping out of her trance. "I don't have anything else in mind." Anna's response was a hum—laughter in its trace. The redhead began to sweep across the carpet again.

Elsa noticed around her friend a very clear ground with a perfect lack of knickknacks. She spotted the box, seeing how full it now sat. Elsa looked around the bed which lied two feet or three in front and to the right of her. No others toys were found, so she decided to search around herself. There were two lying just behind her, and she placed them in the box. Anna's hands were still scouring carefully. Elsa looked afterwards and seemed to spot no additional figurines. Shortly, she was on her knees before notifying the redhead.

"Oh, I actually think we're done with that now."

"Oh, really? Alright, now we can move on to other things.

"What else is there do?"

"Well, you can probably tell that my bed and my clothes need to be sorted out. Then I was told to do dishes and… put a few groceries away."

"OK. Is there any frozen products that we should tend to first?"

"Uh, no actually, so we can start with whatever."

"Great. Do you wanna begin with your clothes?"

"Might as well." Anna finished. And they were off.

The two of them migrated a few feet over to the far right corner of the room next to the bed. A small mountain of shirts, pants, shorts and whatnot piled together, waiting for someone to fix its unsightliness; the smell wasn't all that bad, though; flowers and lavender filled the area. They began taking piece by piece, folding them neatly, then placing them in rows on the bed; shirts went in one pile, pants went in another, and so on. Light chatter elevated between the consonance of the two girls, and quite rapidly subjects began to rise in depth.

"Ever had a sleepover?" Anna asked as the new topic. Elsa's spine danced.

"A sleepover?" Elsa slowly started to panic again.

"Yeah, you know. You stay over at a friend's house for the night, chat for hours. You're telling me you've never heard of one?" The blonde's response was not as planned.

"No." her words slipped out of her mouth. _"Why did you say no!?"_ Elsa yelled at herself. She must've mistaken her answer for "have you ever had one?"

"Wow, really? Well, I guess you know now, so there's no need to explain again. Of course, I've never actually had one, so we're on even grounds. …Say… would you care to join me for one?" Anna's head was now upside-down, hanging off the edge of the bed.

" _Don't you dare say no! Don't you dare say no! You're trying to bond with this woman! Why are you hesitating!? She wants to do this with you because she sees you as a friend! It could and most likely will be fun! You just don't know it yet!"_ Elsa's conscience scolded. _"Say it."_ Elsa did not make a sound. _"Say it!"_ Her breathing was roughly the same pace as her heart.

"Yeah, that sounds fun." Elsa winced harder than thought possible. It was good Anna couldn't see.

"Really!?" Anna was no doubt ecstatic. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you! I've wanted one of these for so long. But obviously it can't be today. I mean, mother and I haven't even prepared, and we aren't even done yet, and I haven't even told Mama, and you probably aren't ready either. You have a dog to take care of and figure out, and it's way too quick to jump right in." Anna rambled on. As she listened to the redhead, Elsa's fears slowly washed away until the point where she questioned herself why she even let them in. What was there to fear? Anna certainly didn't care. A smile even broke on her face. The more the redhead spoke, the more Elsa welcomed the idea.

Elsa placed a hand upon Anna's shoulder. The redhead immediately hushed. Her face seemed red with embarrassment. "It sounds like a lot of fun, Anna. Yes, I'll have a sleepover with you."

"Alright. Thank you. Sorry for my rambling." Anna quit moving and returned to folding her clothes. Elsa did as well after her reply.

"Don't worry about it." The blonde reached for a piece of clothing and held it in front of her face. Her teeth clenched and her muscles contracted as she held one of Anna's fervently pink panties. She sucked in air almost too quick, so her lips nearly made noise. Hoping Anna couldn't tell, she reached back in the pile and replaced it with a white shirt.

The rest of the chores for Anna and Elsa moved by somewhat swiftly. Anna's bed was the easiest task, and after they were done with it, it was fit for a queen. Laundry was the next to check off, and not quite harder was it. They placed the clothes in the machine, and currently they waited for its finish. In the meantime, the two girls got busy with the dishes. Elsa spent the time washing them while Anna dried and set them on a rack. However, this would take nearly the longest, as the two began to fool around with the load of bubbles. It would, for some odd reason, kill Anna every time she held bubbles in her palms, clapped, and felt the impact splat over her face. A contagious laugh caught between the two of them, which seemed to never find an end. Anna would laugh, which would make Elsa laugh, which would make Anna laugh harder, and so on. The house was an expanding balloon of giggles. The door creaking was a needle, and instantly it popped.

"Anna? I'm home." the girls heard a familiar voice call. Anna dashed as fast as she possibly could from the kitchen and met her mother with a hug. Elsa looked with her body half turned and placed a plate down to go and greet her.

"Mama!" Anna cheered as she embraced her. "Elsa and I had the best time!" she released, holding a grip on her mother's forearms.

Iduna excitedly smiled, "That's great! I'm so happy for you! Is she still here?" Iduna glanced up and saw a timid, waving Elsa. The blonde half crook a smile. The brunette moved as if she jumped from her spot and began heading towards Elsa. The blonde was expecting a simple handshake but forgot the woman had a very strong liking for hugs.

"Elsa! How are you?" the woman asked, holding the blonde's shoulder after her abrupt embrace.

"Uh-d, I-I'm, I'm, I'm good, sorry." Elsa stuttered to a painful quantity. Her face was flushed like a tomato.

"Would you like some tea?" The woman couldn't stop smiling. Elsa almost giggled. It was like she just met her.

"Yes please."

"Great! Same as before?"

"Eh… why not?"

"Alright. I'll get it ready." Iduna headed for the kitchen.

"Thank you. Do you want me to finish up the laundry first, or…?" the blonde asked, pointing with both hands in the direction of the stairs.

"Oh, no, no, no. You've helped out enough already."

"Are you sure? I mean, it won't take-"

"No, sit." the woman shook her head and pointed to the chairs.

The blonde shrugged, "OK." and she made her way.

"Come. Tell me about your day. Anna, come sit down. I want to know what you girls did." Iduna called. Elsa set herself down on the end of the table, and Anna sat on a chair closest to her on the side. The redhead placed her fingers atop the back of Elsa's folded hands before there was another word. The blonde was intrigued to hear what Anna had to say.

"Mama, this girl is amazing!" Anna said with much enthusiasm and emphasis. Iduna looked back to see how they were connecting. Elsa caught her mother and looked down at the table as she noticed a smile.

"Oh, really!? Tell me about her, dear."

"Elsa is the greatest…" Anna started to go on. The blonde hid, lowering her face to the table, although, with a grin that couldn't be denied. She brushed her hair behind her ear. Her coyness preferred not to listen to her compliments.

"Wow. Well, I'm glad you two had fun." Iduna answered. Her daughter must have been done with her speech. Elsa glanced back, but Iduna still continued to smile at her; it was a smile that she was proud and thankful of Elsa for helping Anna. Elsa could feel it. Iduna just hoped she picked it up.

"We did." the redhead stated somewhat proudly. Iduna walked over and gave Elsa her tea before sitting at the opposite end of the table.

For the next little while, the three of them shared stories and an abundance of laughter. The bond interweaved between the three of them strengthened as if it were now steel cable and continued to grow. The sun was set at the beginning of their chat, and near the end, it moved almost a meter.

When the time was right, Elsa had affirmed her adieu to be underway. Iduna and Anna walked her to the door and began saying their thanks and goodbyes as she fit her shoes. Elsa zipped up the jacket she brought along with her and stood straight as she grasped the doorknob.

"And thank you again so much for coming on such short notice." The brunette said.

Elsa put up her opposite hand to wave, "Oh, no problem. Happy to help. Goodbye." she said to Iduna. Elsa turned and looked at Anna, "And goodbye to you, too, Anna." The redhead's response was not the same.

"Elsa, wait." The blonde did not move. Anna stepped forward at her and turned slightly to her mother. "I want to speak to you outside, please." she whispered. The brunette faintly heard speaking, and Anna's subtle turn-away from her mother was definitely a hint Iduna caught. She would interrogate her later. The brunette watched the two of them step out the front door before quietly shutting it.

There was a moment where only silence and the wind was company as their background. There was a whisper of sunlight peaking through the clouds unto Elsa's temple. The blonde focused on Anna's face. There was something the girl wanted to get out. Her lips and tongue moved as to speak, but nothing for quite a long period left. Her hands were out front, waiting for the answer to catch.

"…Elsa," her voice was a pillow, "I just want to say thank you… truly… for everything."

The blonde spoke before she could continue, "No, Anna, I should be thanking you. You really helped me today, as I have helped you."

"I just… I haven't believed it lately that I actually have a friend. …It's why I've been so quick with you. I wanted you to know that you meant a lot to me, so you wouldn't run off. …The point is… you do. You mean a lot to me. You're like family to us now."

Elsa spoke air for a second. "…I… I…" The only response Elsa could give was another long hug. Their heads nudged closer together as if they needed each other for warmth. Content bloomed like a flower. Their souls were at ease.

With a breath, they parted and stood put at one another. Elsa smiled at the opening of her eyes. Anna was trying to find words again. It was too adorable for Elsa. The girl was glowing. Her voice carried with her rays.

"…I know you don't want to hear this, but" Elsa's heart skipped a beat, "I'm sorry if again I pressured you to say yes to the sleepover thing." There was a clear wince in Anna's expression. She was hesitant to hear Elsa's response. She couldn't get any more lovable.

Elsa sighed, giggling. Anna loosened at what she heard. "Don't worry, Anna. It sounds fun. But please, don't keep thinking you've guilt me into doing something."

"I know, I know. I'm sorry…" Anna's head tilted up as if she was looking at Elsa, "But… you really want to…?"

"I do."

"Oh, thank you, thank you!" Anna cheered again, hugging the blonde for the third time. Elsa stepped back once from the impact of her sudden weight and then chuckled. Anna released as fast as it happened, "Alright, I'll let my mom know what's happening. From there, we'll see where this goes." The redhead gripping the doorknob signified her leaving.

"OK, sounds good. I'll be waiting." She saw Anna wave.

"Bye!" the girl said. Elsa beamed in her purity.

"Bye."


	5. Chapter 5

The day had finally come—no turning back. Elsa didn't know whether it felt too late or too soon. She somehow found herself once again sitting in her car upon the gravel of Iduna's front yard. The blonde felt like she had been sitting there for a million years. Across her right arm, holding the wheel, she stared at the house for the sixth time. She faced forward again, shutting her eyes as she took a breath.

"Don't worry. It'll be fun. There's nothing to be afraid of." Elsa didn't know if discouragement or excitement fled over her. All she knew was this wave of weird surging within. Her spine was sweating, but she couldn't help but feel cold and shiver. She put one hand over the other as if to warm them up. There was a moment where she paused.

"Why do you always do this? You're their friend. They want you to go over. You shouldn't be worrying! You've done this about three times now!" There was another short pause. "OK, fine. How about this? You're going to leave on the count of three…" Elsa told herself. Her fists met her forehead. She felt a spark of adrenaline. "One… Two… Three…" Elsa's heart stopped. Her legs and arms tensed as she heard the sound of clicks and pieces of metal ring briefly. Eventually her eyes opened. She found her feet standing free on the globe. A kiss of wind rushed past her face and hair. Her golden locks started to dance a bit. The blonde's palm gradually left her vehicle.

Elsa's feet moved slowly but surely. Her neck couldn't seem to find the strength to tilt up as the gravel turned into a sweet green blanket of grass. She walked quietly with her shadow and the warm sunset light that watched over the cliff of her right shoulder. Her eyes met with it for a second.

The blonde paused as she heard her foot thump on concrete. She looked down to spot a cement plate and then looked up to see white wood. Her heart stopped for a lethal amount of time. Elsa took a second to catch her lost breath. Dismissing whether she did or did not believe it, the blonde raised her fist in the air before striking Iduna's door three times. Her face went blue, and her fingers turned into ice.

 _Creak_ , the door opened. Elsa did her best to remain calm. Quite swiftly and without noticing it, her blank face broke a smile.

"Elsa!?" an excited blur of orange asked. The blonde suddenly felt warm.

"Hi, Anna." Elsa answered with a tiny giggle. The orange started to hop in delight at what she heard.

"Oh, hi! Oh-a-uh, um… Come in, come in!" Anna stuttered from the burst of joy. She somehow managed to grab Elsa's wrist before the blonde could register it, then proceeded to yank her friend through the door out into the vicinity of the living room. They were only halfway to the kitchen before the redhead called out to her mother. Worrying that she still had her shoes on, Elsa did not see the brown-haired woman until noticing the floor had changed from a clean glaze of doughnut brown to the reflecting white of a polar bear. Her head repositioned upright, instantly connecting with Anna's mother.

"Elsa! So nice of you to join us once again!" Iduna politely said with a genuine, touching smile. The blonde smiled back and waved before another thing was said. "Uh, did you eat yet? We were just cleaning up supper. I can whip up something really quick if you'd like."

Elsa shook her head and raised her hand, "No, it's OK, thank you. I already ate."

"OK, great!" The woman put her hands together and then pointed with both, "Well, you two have fun. If you need anything during the night, I'm right next door to Anna. There's water and juice in the fridge if you get thirsty, and if you do get hungry, I'm sure Anna can figure something out for you."

Anna filled Elsa's vision with another blur. As soon as her mother finished, the redhead stepped in front of the blonde, linking her arms together behind Elsa's back. Elsa was no doubt taken aback in surprise and thrill and of course because of what she felt towards the woman; there was quite a lack of space between them. The blonde's face looked like a tomato in a second. However, Iduna did not catch it. Anna yanked Elsa again, almost lifting the girl off her feet into the next room. Elsa quickly raised her hand to the brunette as a farewell. All she caught was Iduna giggling.

"Oh, I'm so glad you came!" Anna cheered, setting the woman down at the edge of the living room, only to grab her wrist once again. "I have a mental list of ideas that we can do throughout the night! I helped make a bed for you! It should do just fine. I've slept on it lots of times before." she began rambling ecstatically. Elsa didn't know what to do but just listen and follow. It was really the only thing she could do. "Anyways, we're going to have so much fun and laugh and giggle and play! I don't even know what to do first! I-"

The redhead came to an abrupt hiatus. The only thing in the air even for just a second was the faint trickle of giggles coming from the blonde. But even those silenced as if they had been shot. Elsa suddenly realized that the quiet Anna had came to could have been because of herself. There was no doubt the redhead had heard Elsa's laughter, and only fate would decide how she would fare—acknowledging it as playful and complementing or perhaps rude and insulting.

Elsa felt Anna's grip constrict.

Suddenly, her chest was clamped in a tight pressure. The blonde felt as if she was going to stumble backwards but somehow miraculously maintained her equilibrium and posture. Nearly the entire weight of Anna rushed into the blonde in under a second. The redhead held her like her life depended solely on it—her rope dangling off the cliffside. Anna's cheek rested upon her collar, almost touching Elsa's chin with her cranium. The blonde felt like a thousand eyes were staring directly at her. She didn't know what to do or how to react whatsoever. Fortunately, she didn't have to before long.

"I want to say thank you… so much again…" Anna finally and very softly whispered.

"For what exactly?" Elsa wasn't too sure. It was the only thing she could think of.

"For everything. Being my friend, letting me connect with you, and joining me for this. Thank you, Elsa. I don't know if this is weird for you, but you just mean a lot to me. You really don't know how much."

For once, the blonde knew what to do.

"Don't worry, Anna." she answered just as softly, pressing forward just as much as Anna. "You mean a lot to me, too. You're the only friend I have, and I'm truly proud to say that." The moment couldn't have felt better. She never wanted to forget this feeling again.

The girl let go a second after and smiled almost with a giggle. Elsa saw it in her lips. Anna made an adorable little hum as a substitute, blushing probably more than she knew whilst her shoulders hugged around her cheeks for a brief moment. Oh, how Elsa adored and admired her. It was lovable.

"Thank you…" she continued to blush, rubbing her bicep with the opposite arm. "Well, enough of all this." quickly grabbing the blonde's wrist again. Elsa nearly giggled for the second time as Anna swiftly changed the subject. "Let's go to my room and get this sleepover started!"

Before Elsa knew it, she was sitting atop Anna's bed only a foot across from the redhead. Reality really kicked in once she found herself holding the right hand of her crush. Though the occasion wasn't anything intimate, she still saw it to be as if it was; although, it might have been a stretch to think that. Alas, the blonde was only painting her nails. With an elegant shade of red, like curtains, Anna's fingertips quickly became full of sparkles and magic it seemed like. Even though she could not see, Anna giggled and presented them to herself as if she could. She knew, since Elsa did it for her that it was best gift, regardless of her inability to observe by eyesight. Elsa was always astonished at how Anna could make the best of everything.

The time eventually came when it was Anna's turn to try. Firmly, as if steadily grasping a spear, she took Elsa's hand but kept still with her brush in her right. With her left, the redhead felt over the blonde's hand, calibrating where exactly to aim. After her index and thumb climbed up one of Elsa's fingers, she carefully headed in.

"Alright, I know I said this already, but forgive me if I miss or get any on your skin."

The blonde could only laugh. There was a certain "nice" sort of a feeling that she couldn't describe as Anna held her. "Don't worry. It's fine. Go ahead." Dampness touched her finger ever so gently. The red bristles of the brush spread over Elsa's fingernail. There was a tiny red mark, but in a second, it became a little streak that concluded down off the tip of her nail. Anna paused for a moment and lifted her brush away.

"How was that? Did I do it?" She spoke rather swift. There was a hint of worry in her tongue.

Elsa sighed out of admiration, "It's perfect." the blonde answered. "You just have fill in the sides a little bit more."

Anna exhaled like she had been holding her breath for an entire minute. "Oh, OK. Good." The weight of her distress had been lifted. "I don't know why I was so scared about that. I just really felt like I shouldn't mess up at any cost. It was weird. I don't usually get like that, sorry."

"Oh, I wouldn't have minded. Mistakes happen."

"Right, right." the redhead shook her head. "Alright. Now I'll fill in the rest."

As light as a feather, Anna delicately coloured in the corners of Elsa's nail. Being even more adorable, the tip of her tongue stuck out, showing just how hard she was working and how precise she wanted this to be. Her fingers held around the side of her nail, so if she went too far, she would colour herself, therefore knowing. At a remarkable rate, Anna adapted and began moving on to the next finger faster than the last. Not only that, but not once did she make a mistake. She finished both of the blonde's hands in a matter of a few short minutes. Proudly, she put her fists on her hips and grinned while Elsa took her time to examine her work. It was safe to say the blonde was truly impressed.

"Wow! Amazing, Anna! This is stunning… and practically perfect!" Elsa gawked for a moment. Anna chuckled and brushed back her hair in triumph.

The next hour or so was spent in the merriment of kicks and laughter. They told funny stories while Elsa then began to braid Anna's hair about halfway through Anna's third adventure. It was a dream the redhead had where she felt like she was in a freefall for about a minute. When landing, she felt wet and an obscure tickling feeling coming from the liquid. The redhead described it not as dense as water and somehow soft like a feather. She then told how she woke up laughing from the sensation. Elsa asked if she ever found out what the cause was, but an answer wasn't Anna's to receive. Eventually but swiftly, the dark of night had become upon them before long. Already, like petty seconds rushing by, the two of them had finished off the day with a quick snack before readying for slumber. Elsa was the first to get changed and waited on the couch in the living room for Anna to do the same. She looked back when she heard footsteps, but it was only the redhead's mother. Their eyes connected for a second. The blonde could see she was going to wish her some sort of "goodnight" or "see you in the morning".

"All ready for bed, I see?" the brunette asked. Her words turned into a shielded yawn at the end of her sentence.

"Indeed." Elsa smiled. "Are you off to bed as well?"

"Yeah. As you can tell, I'm pretty exhausted." Iduna giggled. "I'm just going to say goodnight to Anna before I go." rubbing her eye. "By the way, it was nice of you to come over once again. It always is. You don't know how much it warms my heart to see her this happy. I don't think she's ever been this much actually."

Elsa tried to hold back a blush. She couldn't stop herself from smiling, however. "Oh, well, it's fun being here. …I mean… you two are the only people I actually connect with."

"Well, I'm glad to hear it." Iduna smiled once more.

Both of their eyes drifted away when a brief squeak came from behind the mother. Anna stepped out of the bathroom with a giant stretch and a yawn. She wore a purple nightgown that hung down just above her knees with a little flower at the bottom left. Elsa smiled in complete adulation. It was a good thing Iduna turned away.

The brunette approached her daughter, quietly saying their partings before embracing in a quick hug. An odd sense struck within Elsa for a second. It was cold and very jealous. Elsa then saw Iduna plant a firm kiss upon the center of Anna's forehead. Elsa nearly squeaked as her eyes widened. It was rather unorthodox. The blonde birthed a very unsettling burst of envy. Elsa was taken aback by herself. She never felt such an intense feeling, and why most of all? The blonde couldn't think straight. The image of Anna getting kissed replayed over and over again. She looked at her hand, which was now a fist. Elsa broke from her thoughts in utter confusion. She thought she was done with all of these weird happenings.

"What is going on?" she could only think. It was only her mother.

"Goodnight, Elsa." the blonde heard a voice say. Elsa looked up from the ground, finding herself caught in the gaze of a silent woman. She shook her head and coughed.

"O-oh, um… S-sorry. Have a good night." The blonde watched the brunette woman wave before leaving downstairs.

"Alright! Shall we be going as well?" Anna asked, swinging her fist gleefully. Elsa shook her head once again as she stood up from the cushions.

"Y-yes, of course." doing her best to giggle. She was still a little on edge.

The lights went out shortly after. The remainder of the girls' evening was spent in discussion as they both lied in their separate beds. Elsa, who lied on the carpet next to Anna's bed frame, did for the most part listen. She hadn't many interesting stories at all and had already spoken of them not too long before. Whether Anna realized this or not, she was doing an excellent job of keeping the conversation alive. Elsa wanted to thank her. The blonde stared at the stars on the ceiling, which glowed green in the darkness they had been swallowed in. In a silence between Anna's stories, Elsa thought.

The blonde took a moment to realize where she was and just what was happening. She was lying in another's house, and to those others did she call friends. Even her comprehending the fact that she had a friend seemed like a dream. How did her quiet, lonely life and her horrid past turn into this in what seemed like such a short amount of time? She used to dream about a life like this but never actually thought it would happen. Elsa felt something in her heart grow. She wanted to tell Anna everything right that moment.

But she couldn't. Not yet.

"You know, Elsa, even though I've already said this before, I'm grateful for everything in my life. I think the problem with this world is that everybody has lost their sense of companionship. I hear about these stories and how people can be so… so heartless to one another. And because of that, I'm just so happy I am who I am. I love my mother. I love everything about my life. And I'm truly happy you're in it as well. Forgive me if this is getting weird." she said quickly with a chuckle. "As outrageous as it sounds, I think there is a reason why I was made like this. I just hope I find that reason soon. In spite of everything I have gone through, I'm proud to be me. …I wouldn't want to be anybody else."

A dense silence proliferated among them. Elsa was astounded, knowing right where she was coming from. She didn't know how to respond.

"Goodnight, Elsa…" the blind girl finished. The blonde heard her blankets rustle as she turned to her side. Her words rang throughout Elsa's head. It was a stretch, though by the slightest pitch in Anna's voice, Elsa could sense a tiny smile before the redhead had sought for slumber.

Elsa awoke to black by the sound of movement, confused as to what time it was. She didn't feel as if she had slept long enough yet, and the world remained as quiet and dead as ever. Barely even seeing it, a foot touched the ground just a few inches away from her face. The bed beside her creaked, and a small inhale was heard.

"Anna?" The movement came to a halt.

"Oh, sorry, Elsa. I didn't mean to wake you."

"What are you doing?" the blonde asked nicely.

"I'm just going to get a glass of water."

Elsa lifted up on her elbow, "Oh, well, do you want me to come?"

"No, no, no. It's fine. I'll just be a bit." shaking both her head and hand.

"Oh, nonsense." Elsa threw her blankets off, proceeding to stand. "I'll come with you."

"OK then. Thank you. If you need to, you can turn the lights on."

The two of them walked out of the door and into the hallway—Anna leading, and Elsa following close behind. They quickly walked down the stretch towards the stairs before carefully heading up. The blonde allowed Anna to take her time, but the redhead seemed to be going at a fair pace. Knowing she had been granted permission, Elsa flicked the light on for her own sake. She almost immediately fell down the stairs.

Anna was walking roughly three to four steps in front of Elsa and continued to maintain that distance. However, from the blonde's perspective, her face was perfectly level with the woman's lower cheeks. Not only that, her blouse was caught underneath the band of her underwear, exposing the entirety of her rump to be filled in the blonde's gaze. Like a movie screen, Elsa got a clear, fine look of that ample bottom of hers. She froze, feeling as if she was falling into shock.

Elsa nearly gasped but luckily covered her mouth before anything could be muttered. She tried to look away to respect her dear friend but kept finding herself staring back at it seconds later. Eventually, she let her mind persuade her and kept straight. Elsa knew it was a sin, but she couldn't help it. There would never again be a time like this, and she did not want to miss this opportunity. She continued to tell herself that no one would ever know, but guilt still dragged onto her greatly. Elsa couldn't deny herself any longer how perfect it was. She stared at it—watched it. Anna's cheeks rose up and down and bounced with each step. Climbing the stairs only significantly enhanced its prominence and luster, since her legs had to rise more. Her perfectly soft, curved hips swayed to the sides, luring Elsa's eyes everywhere they went. The center was truly something that the blonde would remember for the rest of her days. The vertical strip between her pillows was just and utmost tantalizing; Elsa nearly lost her breath. It was calling for Elsa. It was teasing her. The blonde wanted to reach out and grab it. She longed to place her index finger and thumb around it and just simply pull. Did Anna not feel the glitch in her attire?

With a bit of confusion, Elsa found herself at normal height once again, breaking her out of her trance more abrupt than she would have expected. They had reached the top finally. Elsa only pictured what she just saw in her head for a moment before blinking away. She looked forward and saw Anna walking into the kitchen. However, the blonde did not follow so shortly. She was ready to take a step but stopped when noticing something. Her right hand was in front of her like it was in the midst of grabbing something. It hit her hard right then. She almost grabbed Anna like she had been dazing about. She didn't know if she was actually going to, but if it wasn't for the top of the staircase, she might have lost everything. With her opposite hand, she quickly placed her arm down to the side, holding it there. She closed her eyes and took a breath.

"That was too close. What is wrong with you!? Ugh! Be careful!" she whispered. Right after, she approached the kitchen.

After a quick minute or two, the two girls began heading back. It was no doubt that Anna had more difficulty walking downstairs, so Elsa was obliged to aid her. The blonde usually wouldn't have been so tense, but since what just happened not so long ago, her brain seemed to be on the fritz. She was holding Anna's right hand with her right and taking Anna by her left shoulder with her left. She began to question excessively, though. She wondered if she was holding Anna too close to her, perhaps making the redhead confused or uncomfortable. Elsa would try to ease herself, but every now and then, their legs would rub briefly together. Elsa didn't think any of it first occurrence, but she looked down, only to see that her dress remained as before, meaning that she was very nearly coming into contact with a certain something. It happened after some time again. Elsa gulped, fearing that Anna maybe wondering why they were touching hips and thighs so often, even though it was probably another accident. Elsa could get the dread of "probably" out of her head. Her mind was set that Anna thought she meant to touch her. She didn't even realize how hard she was gripping Anna's hand. That only struck her with an even greater sense of fear. Anna had to hate her about now.

Quickly after, she found blackness.

"Psst… Elsa…" the blonde heard as something lightly pushed her shoulder. She blinked quite a lot; her eyes were a little heavy. She noticed the outline of someone's arm. Her eyelids fell once again before opening after something had moved her for the second time.

"Elsa…" a girl's voice whispered. Slowly Elsa's pupils turned upwards, very faintly seeing a familiar face in the darkness and her blur from slumber.

"Anna…?" she eventually moaned. She heard the woman giggle.

"Sorry, I didn't really want to wake you, but I had to inform you that Mama has made breakfast for us in case you wanted any. You can go back to sleep if you'd like, though. We'll save some for you."

The blonde rubbed her eye with the back of her hand, "Oh, how nice of her. Do you know what time it is by any chance?" she asked pushing herself off the carpet ground.

"I think she said around nine a few minutes ago. But you can go back to sleep. There's plenty upstairs. I didn't even want to wake you up. I just… thought it'd be best to let you know."

"Oh, don't worry about it. I probably would have got up soon anyway." throwing the blankets off her.

"OK, well, sorry again."

"Oh, really it's nothing. Please don't think of it like that."

"I know, I know. Anyways, I've already got dressed, so I don't need to be here any longer. I'll let you change and whatever, but if you need me, I'll be upstairs."

"Alright. Thank you." The blonde watched her friend out the door and disappear to the left. However, her eyes seemed to linger to the region of her departure. She saw Anna leave—the girl's back turned toward Elsa. Suddenly she went back. Elsa began to remember and picture the scene at the stairs. The blonde remembered what happened and what she didn't but almost did. Her palm met with her forehead at a painful rate.

" _Stupid!"_ she screamed in her mind. _"You witch! What is wrong with you!?"_ Her arm fell down to her side with a sigh. She slowly began to recap what happened, trying to ignore the discontent she felt within herself. One thing managed to bring a source of hope and light.

Elsa remembered how panicked she felt when assisting Anna—wondering if the redhead thought of her any differently, oddly, or angrily because of how "close" Elsa might have seemed. Providentially, the redhead did not act any different or negatively towards Elsa as the morning had come. She was still the bright and gleeful girl that the blonde knew since the very first day. Elsa chuckled at herself with a groan. There was no way Anna hated her just because their legs rubbed together. The more Elsa thought about it, the more she became embarrassed by herself. Her palms and fingers shielded a red on her face.

The blonde eventually found her way to the kitchen after a few minutes of gathering and readying her things. She took her first step in and noticed Anna at the table happily eating. She looked left to see Iduna putting away cups and bowls in a cupboard on the left wall. Her face was blocked behind the left door of the cupboard, but closed it after a moment and turned left when she noticed something at the corner of her eye. The woman's face lit up with a smile.

"Good morning, Elsa!" she spiritedly greeted the blonde, cupping her hands.

"Good morning." Elsa replied, smiling back.

"I made breakfast for the two of you." Iduna gestured to the table. Elsa followed her hand and noticed a filled plate and a vacant chair waiting for her on the left end of the table.

"Oh, yes, right. Anna told me. I appreciate it. Thank you."

"Oh, don't mention it. Help yourself to whatever you please."

Elsa walked over and joined Anna at the table—the both of them swiftly engaging in conversation and soon sharing in laughter. Elsa enjoyed every little bit and sweetness of her dish. Like the redhead's plate, she had a barrage of different fruits, such as watermelon, cantaloupe, grapes, strawberries, blueberries, banana slices, and few others. She had a peanut butter and jammed slice of toast and scrambled eggs to finish off.

Iduna listened to the two girls while she continued with the chores. A great smile formed on her face as the girls made the best of their morning. She never felt so happy for her daughter; Elsa was a perfect match for her. The brunette never realized how well they entwined like two laces of a shoe. She never heard Anna laugh so much in her life and had a hunch it was the same for Elsa. They were like two halves of a picture—one not complete without the other; how lucky they were to find each other. Iduna felt so grateful to be present with the moment. She felt like tearing up. She felt like thanking Elsa. But she kept quiet and behaved like nothing was happening. Good thing she was facing away the entire time.

Alas, the time came after an hour or so for Elsa to be on her way. She gathered her bags and clothes before putting on her shoes and readying to say her thanks and goodbyes. A few feet back, Iduna stood and watched, holding Anna around the waist. The mother was the first to speak to Elsa and wish her a farewell.

"Thank you for coming again, really." The blonde didn't know how much Iduna meant it.

"Thanks for having me! It was a pleasure!" Elsa responded. She didn't realize how big her smile was. Iduna was the only one to have seen the amount of joy Elsa had, even though there was still some hiding.

"Oh, anytime. Please, if you want to come over for anything or do this again, just ask."

"Yeah!" Anna agreed.

"OK, I sure will. Thank you again. Thank you, too, Anna." Suddenly, the redhead leaped from the light bond of her mother's hand into Elsa's arms. They both smiled and laughed. Anna threw her arms and head around Elsa's neck, squeezing her tightly, closing her eyes in comfort. The blonde welcomed her and held her like the girl was dying of hypothermia.

"Thank you so much, Elsa. I had lots of fun."

Elsa patted and rubbed her back, "Yeah, I did, too. Thanks for thinking of the idea." The redhead let go and stood in front of Elsa for a second with a bright red in her cheeks. She faced the ground and pushed a tuft of hair behind her ear.

Anna put her arms down straight and her hands together, "Aw, thank you. I'm glad you came over. …So… have a nice day. I'll see you next time." the redhead finished. Elsa smiled at her adorableness, perhaps too evidently, since Iduna was watching. The blonde didn't seem to care that much if she did or not.

"And you both have a great day as well. Bye! And thanks again!" she waved, closing the door behind her.


	6. Chapter 6

Elsa stared down to the right at Anna's hand, which was intertwined with her own. There was a white circular fade around her vision. Pink pedals flew past them in the wind. Her eyes climbed up the redhead's arm until she met the side of the woman's gorgeously freckled head. Anna's glowing, sunset locks floated alongside like they were in water; no braids held them together. Elsa could already feel them. They were soft like a peach. Anna's touch gave her warmth. Elsa couldn't help but giggle and grin as Anna continued to stare forward, smiling like she always did.

"Where are we going?" the blonde asked. Anna didn't answer right away. Like dust, flowers of blue, pink, orange, purple, and red caught their gentle wind and watched the two of them come and go in their hop.

"Just follow me." the redhead answered. Elsa looked forward to try and see where they could be heading. All she saw was the same endless garden trailing up to the near horizon. She could feel her naked feet sinking into the thick sheet of green, kicking up more colours and pedals with each and every step. Although it didn't seem to hold and choke Elsa, peculiarly, the land ahead of them came faster than they seemed to be walking. She looked back to the right. Anna didn't mutter a sound, nor did she stray her eyes away. Elsa didn't feel anything on her feet anymore and looked straight for the second time.

The blonde found herself in the center of a low, green, and freshly mowed circle. She looked around for a second, trying to see whereabouts they were located. She shouldn't have expected a different result. Anna took her second hand quickly and pulled her down to her knees. Suddenly, the garden surrounding them towered above much higher than it should have. The wind stopped, and a small gentle shade covered them. Elsa looked up to the top, seeing how far away the open sky seemed. She felt safe and protected, though—especially in the dear hands of another.

Elsa looked down. Anna smiled and blushed. The gray tint in her eyes had disappeared and was replaced with the most diamond of all blues. The girl tucked away a tuft of hair behind her ear as she looked down at their hands. Elsa did not follow. She couldn't look away from that face.

"I like your hair." the blonde complimented. Anna's smile stretched wider. Her head started to find its way up. They met once again in the most heartening gaze. Elsa sensed a giggle inside the redhead, ready to show. Anna held it, but her lips couldn't tame a tiny quiver.

"How long have you loved me?" the woman asked, remaining as natural as she could. Her face became only redder, as she hesitated. The very hint of Elsa's soft voice cushioned her.

"…Ever since I first saw you." A smile neighboured her. Finally saying it after so long truly made the blonde feel proud and powerful. And of course, when she witnessed Anna's face light up with a giggle and gold, her cocooned heart exploded and bloomed with the sheerest uplift of elation. They felt alive—maybe for once in their damaged lives.

Elsa could hear the redhead's heart flutter. The girl's knees shifted a few inches closer to the blonde.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Anna asked, tilting her head slightly like a dog.

Elsa sulked—hesitant to provide the woman an answer. "…I was scared… I thought it would be foolish… How was I ever going to say that I… I…" she paused, "that I loved you if you may not have loved me back? The odds-"

"Forget the odds." Anna moved closer, "It happened, but you should've said it sooner. You may have never got the chance." the redhead informed. Elsa was taken aback. The nature of her words didn't seem right.

"What? What are you talking about? What does that mean?" she wondered. Anna just stared. "...Anna…" hesitating, "I couldn't-"

"Don't." the girl whispered—a blissful smile on her face. Anna's eyelids fell almost all the way down. She pulled their hands firmly to the center of her lap, closing the both of them together. The world slowed and became quiet—all except the clear, loud thump of Elsa's own heart. Their faces rapidly approached each other. Anna's eyes finally shut completely. A million things ran through the blonde's mind, but there was one thing she knew for certain. She followed the thought. Her eyes began to shut as well. Elsa's vision faded—shortly disappearing. The last thing she felt was the breath coming out of Anna's nose.

Elsa suddenly felt wet on her lips, nose, and forehead—springing her body to life as her eyes widened in shock; her heart sounded like gunfire. The only thing she saw was the worried eyes and black schnoz of Shfix. There was a moment of confusion and misplacement, but quickly everything started to fall back into place. This world was alive.

Elsa fell her head back on her pillow with a great sigh of disappointment and anger. She put her hands to her face and groaned for a few long seconds.

"It was only a dream…" she whispered, looking at the ceiling. Her fists slammed the bed in a spark of rage. "Dammit! Are you kidding me!?" she nearly yelled. She heard frantic taps and looked to the right. Shfix cowered backwards away from her outburst, slipping on the floor and quietly whining. He was frightened to look at her. The blonde's heart sank like a rock dropping in a misty, blue pond, immediately feeling regret and shame.

"Oh, Shfix, I'm sorry." she called over to him, opening her arms. "Come here." The dog eventually made his way over, lowering his head in fear of being struck and scolded. Elsa pulled him close to her body and pet him gently. "I'm sorry, you goof. I didn't mean to scare you." she giggled at his nervousness. "It was just the dream I had." It rung in her head. "Just the dream I had…"

Elsa began to replay her dream step by step, analyzing every detail, hoping to find an explanation as to what it meant. Subconsciously petting her animal, the blonde pictured herself walking, staring at Anna, remembering where they were in case it said something. She pictured the two of them sitting down on the grass, getting closer after every second. A rapid thumping began to reemerge. Elsa saw Anna's face and mouthed what she said.

" _Why didn't you say anything?"_ Anna asked. _"You should've said it sooner."_ What did it all mean? Why would Elsa need to say it sooner? Elsa almost couldn't fathom reality. Her body was tense like a rope was wrapped around her. It felt like a piece of her being was still trapped in that world; holding on was the only thing it knew. She could almost feel Anna's skin still—their hands together; them together. Anna pulled their hands to her lap, shortening the gap between them until, of course, their hands weren't the only things touching. How unfortunate she just had to close her eyes.

Elsa woke, looking down in her arms as the sound of whining broke her from her head. Her body shook as Shfix nervously wagged his tail, unsure what to do, frightened like always. Elsa's eyelids fell halfway as she exhaled. She could only smile.

"Oh, don't be so scared." she rubbed his head. The blonde tilted his face up to her with a palm to his chin, meeting his eyes. "How long is it going to take before you're not scared of every little thing I do?" she asked. The Border Collie only licked its lips as some reply. The blonde sighed one last time. "Are you hungry?" she asked playfully. The dog's floppy ears raised an inch or so in interest. "That's it, ya' dummy. Come on!" she cheered, throwing her blankets off and heading into the next room.


	7. Chapter 7

The weeks passed fast and smooth, but that did not mean Elsa was following at the same pace. Her mind continued to cling like a spider on the thread of that lingering dream. At each rise of daybreak, it felt as if she had seen it just as clearly again and again; however, Anna's voice seemed to fade into a smaller whisper with each passing blink. Not understanding the message of her dream in the first place, Elsa only grew concerned and downright scared at what it could only mean—that was, of course, if it had any meaning at all. Elsa wasn't really one to shun forces like such just because some brush it off as "it was just a dream, impossible, and unrealistic that bizarre occurrences, like so, could actually tie-in to real life". She was much more open-minded, which actually aided her career as in artist in not rare or few situations.

And so, the woman set out on her own, little quest to see if, this time, something would actually happen. Elsa did not know what she was looking for—be it bad or good—but she did know that it was better to find it as soon as possible. The blonde even looked on the web to see if there was some sort of _secret message in her dream_. But searching for something like that never helped anyone.

Elsa wasn't entirely out of luck, though. She was granted a straight route right to the source like a rocket set for the end of a rainbow. With the help of her trusty, dandy phone and a connection to a certain someone, Elsa was swiftly standing at the side of Anna once again but between a few thousand feet or so. Iduna came up with the brilliant idea of setting a face-chat sort of thing on her laptop for the two girls to mingle to accommodate for any potential lack of direct communication between them. This allowed them to talk before they would have the chance to meet again. Elsa was rather surprised how she did not conjure the idea herself.

Every night and the occasional morning or noon since then, the redhead and blonde happily chatted the day away until they either decided to go bed, left because Shfix was whining to his master to take him on a walk, or had have Iduna sometimes physically pull Anna away from the screen when they had to go somewhere or do something. Whatever the cause was, Elsa never wanted it to happen. She could physically see that Anna felt the same way. It only made the moment harder every time. Luckily, it was usually only for a few hours until the next session.

With the screen time adding up, the nights became much longer than the girls were used to. On just the third day, they would continue to stir two hours past midnight; although, the following days became no strangers to this as well. However, Elsa found it odd, at one point, that the two of them could just lie in their beds and speak to each other for hours at a time. She would sometimes glance at the clock and have to convince herself that the hours were not minutes. Elsa truly couldn't believe, as much as she wanted to, that they could talk for that amount of time. She didn't even know what they discussed. Elsa only knew for certain two things: that she was sometimes greedily gleeful that her dear friend could not see, since she would dreadfully often gawk at the redhead's gorgeous face for countless minutes at a time without blinking, and that every time she heard Anna's voice, she wondered if it was the last.

An ominous feeling hit Elsa with every word the redhead spoke. Her dream was still haunting her as if it were a nightmare, and whether Elsa chose to believe it was the most difficult. It didn't seem like just a thought after a while. The more she saw Anna, the more it felt real, as if it were physically poking her on the shoulder. How could she ignore something so alive? Was it telling about the future? Was it truly only nothing? If it was true, the dilemma of telling Anna her thoughts toward her were still as treacherous as dodging a bullet from a gun put to her skull. There was but one chance Elsa could have explained everything to Anna. Some previous nights ago, during a tired pause full of yawns and heavy eyelids, Elsa looked at Anna, who lied sleepy on her stomach over her mangled blankets. Her haggard, red locks, like magma, spilled from her scalp—only shielding one side of Anna's face. The princess, as Elsa enjoyed to imagine her, became quiet—reducing to a pure, content, shut-eyed smile after a gentle line of giggles. That very moment grabbed Elsa. The darkness of night, the silence, Anna's grin—it was almost perfect. The blonde knew that smile. It was a smile that read, "nothing shall ruin me"—nothing Elsa could say would affect Anna's steady state of bliss. The girl was just too dazed in happiness.

Elsa muttered embarrassingly. "…A-" she paused. The blonde never thought it would have hurt that much.

"Huh?" Anna replied questioningly. Elsa saw her ears rise. The moment came back. It was in the blonde's reach.

But Elsa was never good at catching.

"…Mmh…" she sighed. Her voice became extremely weak. "…Nothing…"

It was comprehensible that Elsa didn't remember much of what followed that night.

However, through all of this one-sided mind drama, it did not mean Elsa wasn't in a particularly great mood. The thought of "what could have been" some time ago was not going to affect her anytime this beautiful, fine, sunny morning it seemed like. Her heart was only pounding with joy and strength. With the day's walk, breakfast, and cleaning already completed, it was as if the blonde couldn't get any happier; it was somewhat rare for one of these days to pass by. It was definitely one of the strangest occurrences by miles. It would seem it was only about to get better.

Elsa drove her fingers knuckle-deep inside her pocket with might, unsheathing her mighty battleaxe that was her standard, old touch phone. The blonde had felt a vibration and, unless her luck was taking a nosedive, should soon be seeing a familiar name pop up on the flowered screen. To her delight, it was of course her lovely neighbour Iduna, who, most likely, since she was texting Elsa and not having Anna talk to her through the computer, hopefully wanted to invite the blonde over for something, whether it be some help around the house that would be appreciated with additional aid, company for Anna while she runs off to some sort of meeting, or perhaps a simple get-together. Elsa did not care one bit what it was. Her impatient fingers tapped the screen three or four times to get to her messages. The text opened up swiftly—maybe too quick.

Elsa did not feel like smiling any longer.

" _I'm at the hospital. Anna's been hit by a truck."_


	8. Chapter 8

Elsa's heart raced faster than the tires on her car as she rushed to the hospital. By every passing second, greater and greater worry piled onto her like weights attached to shackles around her ankles; although, it seemed like her vehicle was the one instead corrupted. Elsa grew more and more aggravated, swearing she had been stopped by every single red light that crossed her path. It just had to be this one time, just had to be. It took her nearly double as long just to reach half the city. The hospital, of course, had to be at one of the far ends of the town.

Elsa couldn't get the damn scene out of her head. She played it over and over, just imagining the horror of Anna slamming to the ground, not able to move. How bad could it truly be was the question the blonde couldn't wait any longer for. _Maybe life-jeopardizing?_ Elsa shook her head every time it popped into her mind. She didn't want to believe it, but she knew there was a chance.

What already felt too late, Elsa eventually arrived in the parking lot, already opening the door and planting foot on the ground nearly before she stopped. All she remembered was swinging the door back as she passed, not knowing if it even shut or if she remembered to lock the doors behind her. The car could blow up for all she cared. Her quick feet had brought her into the lobby where a single young female sat quietly behind the main desk. Her eyes looked eager to help the blonde, who, obliviously, approached her quick and frantically. Elsa had already spoken before the poor girl could even get a single word out. Elsa asked her of a woman named Anna with red hair, to which the woman at the desk recalled seeing the nurses attending her with a cart not too long ago. Not a moment after she was given the location, Elsa was away, shunning anything the woman had to say furthermore—that is if she did have anything to say.

The door was through the hallway right of the desk where the woman pointed. " _Ground floor, door number fourty-one, second hallway on the right."_ she remembered the woman instruct. _"On the right."_ she repeated to herself, _"On the right…"_

She dashed right, into the second corridor, just like she was told. There was a body not too far ahead, staring motionless into a room on the right side. The brunette woman turned her head toward the sound of Elsa's steps—her eyes widening. Elsa didn't know whether to be relieved or nervous.

"Elsa! You're here!" Iduna said, removing her nail from her teeth. The blonde finally slowed down, first looking at her and then the many in sky blue through the glass.

"Is she in there!?" Elsa asked fretfully—her eyes bouncing left to right.

"Yeah, she's there."

Elsa rammed the door open not a second after. Her eyes tried and searched but never fully found Anna. Two of the nurses approached her with their hands in front, turning and forcing Elsa out of the room, informing her that she was prohibited from entering when their operation was in session. The blonde did her best to fight and prolong her time within the room. And as she was almost out the door, Elsa saw her. The pain she felt could only be described as her heart shattering in half.

Time stopped as she saw Anna completely motionless, dare Elsa think lifeless, with her head turned to the side. She had seen scenes like this in flicks and shows, but, experiencing it in person, it was scarring. Anna's body and face were rigged up to surgical equipment. That didn't even hit her the most. The red, like Anna's face was a room painted by children throwing the pails at the walls, was overwhelming to look at, putting it lightly. Her body was frozen in place. There was so much blood—too much blood. The coldest chill from the strongest winters rushed through her body. She didn't realize until after she blinked a few times that the door had shut on her.

Elsa found her breath as a hand gently rested on her left shoulder. "I was just as shocked as you were when I saw her." the brunette spoke. Elsa turned right to look at her. Just like herself, Elsa could sense the woman's voice getting weaker.

"How did this happen?" the blonde asked—her eyes filling up.

"I wish I fully knew." Iduna slowly started. "…Anna's always been an eager girl, always searching for something to do or for someone to help. One thing she always loves doing is getting groceries at this little store barely two blocks away from our house. Even when there's nothing to buy, she's always asking if there is anything she can get. I, of course, was the one who taught her how to do it all and where to go down the streets. As a mother, I was skeptical about letting her do it by herself the first time, but eventually it just became normal. She's a smart girl for her disability; she has done it for years now. …Today we were just halfway finished a carton of eggs, and, knowing Anna, half meant empty. …I let her be." Iduna paused for a second before she continued. Her voice started to gradually die. "…It took maybe seven, ten minutes max, to walk there—maybe twelve for her. But when over thirty came along, that's when I started to get anxious. …I received a call from a strange number. I answered it and heard a woman's voice speak." Elsa could feel the sadness in her breath. "…She asked me if I was Anna's mother by looking through her ID and using the number inside. Afraid, I asked why she was calling…" Iduna's hands moved to her mouth. She closed her eyes. "…I… I couldn't get what she said out of my head… 'Your daughter has been hit. The paramedics are on their way.'" Elsa was struck in the heart just as hard hearing it in person. "…I-it… It makes me wonder if I'm a terrible mother for letting her go on her own…"

The blonde took a good look at the tears forming in the mother's eyes. She stopped briefly, wondering if she should question furthermore or leave it as it was. Elsa didn't know if it was a sin, but there was no power in her to welcome the silence swiftly approaching. She couldn't live another minute without knowing. The least she could do was take the knife and wait until the mother's sobbing softened; though, those seconds felt like the wait until the end of the universe.

"What about the driver?" Elsa asked—her voice brimming with uncertainty, not truly knowing if she wanted to hear her response. The worst she feared alas seemed to be prominent, as visible in the concerning pause Iduna took before even feeling the strength to continue. The brunette's fist pressed upon her mouth as if attempting to hide the quiver in her lips. Elsa watched her eyes shut tight.

"…They…" Her voice sounded broken. "…They drove off… didn't care enough about the girl they struck to the concrete…" she mumbled desolately. Both of her hands found their way to her face.

Elsa had never felt so intensely sick. Hatred, despair, sorrow, emptiness, anguish, pain—all feelings cold and evil overflowed within her at one precise moment. For the first time in years, she had felt ultimate anger—the same she had grown up with, the same that told her to leave everything and trust no one. And Hell did Elsa see and feel.

"…I… I don't know who that woman was…" Iduna softly uttered, staring through the glass. Elsa's eyes broke away from her tight fists. The blonde did not realize how many tears she had shed. She watched her fingers tremble as she pulled them away. Iduna's voice returned quietly again. "but I owe her everything…"

Elsa did not know what to do or say next. She looked through the window as well, just barely seeing the redhead behind those fretful, shaking bodies. She could hear her heart pounding against her chest louder over every second she watched. Elsa couldn't last too long. Her face broke away painfully. Her watery eyes climbed and found their way into the brunette's. Silence fell over them but not for long. The mother made that have to wait.

"…All we can do now is pray… and hope…" the woman said to the blonde. It was faint, but Elsa felt a bit lighter hearing that; though, it did not put a dent in the heat of the situation. Elsa's eyes flickered from the woman to the glass, then back to the woman and then to the glass again. The blonde's breath died as she took one final glance at Anna. As she inhaled, the tears began to fall like hail again.

"…I can't lose her…" Elsa muttered the best she could with the little will she had left. "…She's my only friend… She's my world…" Elsa attempted to catch one last piece of oxygen. "…She is my life…" The blonde waited a few seconds before finally turning to the brunette once more. Finally, silence had found its place among them as the two just gazed into one another's teary eyes. Everything was still for a moment.

Suddenly, their bodies crashed into one another in a much-needed, tight, comforting embrace. Elsa's face pressed into the woman's collar as she balled and balled until her tears would dry up. Like a blanket, Iduna's arms wrapped around her comfortingly, pulling her in close. One of her hands brushed the back of the blonde's neck up and down. She gently kissed Elsa on the scalp before speaking once more.

"It's OK… Everything's going to be alright…"

And everything turned dark.

Like returning to a novel with an entire chapter torn out, Elsa stirred from the darkness confused and lost. She furrowed her brows at the scene before her for a moment before ultimately piecing together the puzzle and realizing where she sat; though, that puzzle was missing a great deal of pieces. Her eyes flickered to the wall and to the floor frantically while she tried to play back her memories prior to her slumber and, most importantly, how she had fallen under. The blonde thought back to when she hugged Iduna.

But nothing beyond existed. A shadow wall towered mountains high over her. She could not recall. Her heart pounded in unnecessary concern, like she could feel she had missed something rather imperative sitting within those discarded pages. Elsa eyed her warm, nap-printed patterned hands, slightly quivering; at least it wasn't from dread.

"Good morning." a gentle voice said to her left, propping Elsa straight in her seat in fright. Iduna made a nervous "oh" before as well giggling a timid giggle. Her hands rose but stilled from actually touching the blonde. "S-sorry. I didn't mean to spook you. I thought you already saw me."

Elsa blushed, caught between either looking at the woman or the ground. "O-oh… D-don't worry about it. Sorry, I was just caught in my own world there." the clumsy blonde answered, brushing the hair back on her forehead. "Uh-um…" she breathed, trying to come up with conversation. "How long was I out? What time is it?"

"Little past eleven." the woman answered.

"AM?"

The brunette shook her head, "PM." Her body turned left and reached for something on the neighbouring chair. "I didn't really feel like trying to fall asleep." she spoke, shifting back with a tray holding two cups in hand. "All this… worry was too much to even think about sleep, so I got some coffee. I didn't know if you wanted one when you woke up, so I just got two. If you're not a coffee drinker, don't feel bad 'cuz I bought an extra just in case. I'll have it as well if you don't." She shrugged, taking a sip. "It's one of those days." Her eyelids were heavy of woe. Her hand held out the tray to Elsa as she took another sip.

"No, have it if you want it. You bought it. I can get my own." the blonde shook her hand.

A giggle escaped from the mother, "I thought you'd say that. Please, just take it." The blonde's eyes averted from Iduna's to the cup. She hesitated for a moment—her hand quiet in the midsection between her lap and the drink. She eventually succumbed.

"Alright." she gave in, taking the cup and warming her palms around it. "Thank you." She sniffed it in. The smell and heat felt nice.

"You're very welcome." Iduna set the holder on her lap.

"Seems like a good idea." Elsa started this time. "I can see why you'd want to stay up. I don't even remember how I fell asleep." she joked.

Iduna chuckled but then paused. "…It's just too hard thinking of sleep. …I need to know…"

Elsa bit her lip and tilted her head, "Well… have they said anything? How's she doing?"

Iduna looked her straight in the eye, "Go take a look for yourself." she replied, aiming her head towards the door. The blonde's fingers lightened around the cup.

"What!?" Elsa's eyes lit up. She saw Iduna's lips curl a tiny but evident smile.

Elsa swiftly planted her drink back in the tray and was instantly out of her seat and touching the door before Iduna could even respond to her actions. Elsa planted her foot into the room, and, suddenly, she had lost her breath.

There, Anna lied, not awake and not dead. Elsa's heart slowed almost to nothing as she inched closer. Anna's head and shoulders peaked out of the blanket on top of her; additionally, with the red washed off her face but, unfortunately, with extra freight that Elsa would prefer to view her without. The poor girl's mouth and nose were attached to a mask to breathe. A white patch of bandages sat an inch or two above the right corner of her right eye, stained dark red, protruding from the center. A blood bag hung from the right of her bed with a thin tube leading underneath the blankets. Elsa hadn't even begun to imagine the horror that hid on the other side, and already she couldn't bear her eyes even gazing in its direction.

Elsa reached a chair that waited next to the left of Anna's bedside, silently and gently seating in it. She could only stare in desperation at the girl's shut eyes. Her body felt frail and cold. This lying body was the same girl she had laughed and played with. All those weeks back to when she first met this woman had now led to this point. All those happy times Elsa had shared with this girl, all the talks they discussed could soon only be memories—never to happen again.

Elsa gasped, holding herself; she swore she saw her own breath. The constant beeping of Anna's heart, Elsa couldn't ignore it. She shut her eyes. It was loud, yelling at her, teasing her that it could stop at any moment as if it wanted to laugh in her face. Elsa opened and gazed at Anna again. Liquid began to form in her vision. Her hands crept up on the bed, touching one another nervously.

"…Please, Anna…" she pleaded softly, "…I need you to come back… I'm so glad I met you… You let me in… You showed me how to smile and laugh again… "

Her hands slithered under the blankets and softly took Anna's hand, pulling it from under the sheets.

"…I want to go back to those times… My world will crumble if you leave…"

It was getting extremely harder to speak.

"…I… I already lost my mother, Anna. …I can't lose you, too…"

Elsa did everything in her power to not break.

"Come back to me, Anna. …You're my only friend… You are everything to me… Everything… This just isn't fair… Anna… Anna…! I need you… I need you back…"

Elsa paused to take a breath.

"I… I… I love…" Her arm draped around Anna. The tears began to fall.

Darkness struck once again.


	9. Chapter 9

Elsa's body shifted and stirred as she woke from her slumber—woke from her sorrow. Her eyelids only lifted halfway before closing again, glancing at the white of her pillow. The blonde took a deep inhale, stretching. She paused for a second and furrowed her brows. Lifting her body with her arms, Elsa opened her eyes to see what object she was feeling on her bed. As well as her eyelids, her body jumped with a slight yelp, seeing Anna right next to her and her own arm draping across the redhead.

Elsa scurried backwards a few inches, sitting upright. Her heart and breathing were so fast. Her mind raced and raced—only knowing she was still at the hospital. That didn't answer why she was in under the same blankets as Anna and cuddling with her under them. Elsa looked down and thought hard. All she could recall was the moment she took Anna's hand at the side of the bed and wept. Everything else was blank. Elsa knew she couldn't have crawled her way up, nestled herself under the covers perfectly at Anna's side, and turn to hold her all in her sleep; and she would never force her romantic feelings on anyone unconscious and with so many around to witness. So what happened? Though she was dying to know, the fact and the brief moment of her lying with Anna was a treasure and a warmth she knew she definitely couldn't get enough of. Elsa wanted more. She could just fall back into the redhead's body and act as if she never woke up. Perhaps it was a better idea than to torture her mind with unsolvable riddles. Her comfort would surely aid Anna more than anything. It warmed the blonde's heart to see her all cleaned up compared to the previous time she saw her.

"Looks a lot better now, doesn't she?" Elsa heard a voice say, whipping her head in surprise to see. She saw Iduna take a step and then stop. The mother looked at her daughter, then at Elsa. Like a spreading wildfire, the blonde's face became as red as a tomato. It was too late to exit the bed. Elsa was caught. She froze. How would the woman react once she put the pieces together?

"Uh, y-y-yeah…" Elsa stuttered, thinking of nothing else than to answer her question at the least. There was a pause as Elsa hesitantly opened her mouth to apologize for being in Anna's bed. She was shaky and slow, though, and was not able to mutter anything before Iduna took over.

"I apologize if you were a bit shocked this morning." she said. Elsa raised her eyebrows like a dog expecting a treat. "I saw you hanging over the side of the bed last night and thought that it'd probably be more comfortable to just put you on the bed as well." Elsa rose in defense rather quickly. It was almost instinctual for her to respond to this subject so fluently.

"Oh, no, no, no! Don't worry about it. I was just surprised to wake up in a different place is all. I didn't mind." Maybe "I didn't mind" was a bit over the top. That could've backfired easily. From what it looked like, Iduna didn't seem to notice or care. What was a bit off, however, was this definitely visible but small grin in the woman's face. Elsa didn't have long enough to analyze it to what it meant. She was left with a giggle and then another speech.

"Well, that's good, then. I'm going to go out and get some breakfast for us. Do eggs, English muffins, bacon, all that stuff work for you?" Iduna said, counting the items by tapping finger after finger. "No allergies or anything?"

Elsa just smiled, "No allergies. That would be lovely. Thank you." Iduna nodded, said her farewell, and headed out.

Elsa sighed in relief and plopped her back down on her pillow. She closed her eyes, feeling the embarrassment wash away. Her body felt nice and relaxed, but it wasn't for long.

"Have a nice sleep?" Elsa heard, jolting upwards. She turned and looked at Anna, who was chuckling very slightly.

"Anna…!" Elsa said—her whole body shaken.

"The one and only." she joked.

The blonde immediately began to softly tear. Her hands swiftly covered her mouth to muffle the sound and to contain her relief. Her heart pounded against her ribs in joy harder than her darkest time in fear. It was an angel's kiss to hear her voice, even if it was a bit damaged. "Oh, Anna!" Elsa cried in laughter. No matter how many times she wiped her eyes, the fluid would not cease.

Anna coughed a few times and took the blonde's hand. Her voice was serious and genuine. "I'm so grateful you're here. You don't know how much that means to me."

Elsa took the time to comprehend the joy that was in her voice, though it seemed like all suffering and misery. There was no doubt it was there. She tightened her fingers around the redhead's hand. "There's nothing in the world that would be more important to me than this."

Anna coughed and groaned once more. "…Hurts to breathe. …Hurts to move."

Elsa inched closer to her and rubbed Anna's hand. "Anna…" she spoke softly, "what happened? Tell me what's wrong. Tell me what hurts. I'm here for you."

Anna's hand felt around Elsa's. It gave her strength. The redhead took a deep breath and started. She explained it all steadily and slow. "…I could just hear the world around me stop for a moment as I approached the road. Even the voice that said to cross disappeared. In that silence, I could only hear this gradually rising hum from my left. …And then… And then I woke up here. I heard the doctors' or nurses' or whatever you call them's voices just panicking and talking all at the same time. What was scary was… I could feel every individual rib breaking one after the other before I could actually feel anything. …And then it was just a massive wave of pain. …Still," Anna continued firmly. Her voice was, though, growing frail. "it didn't compare to how scary it was to hear my mother's screams while I just sat in this forever darkness, unable to do anything. …I couldn't even say a word." Anna finished. Elsa lied down next to her and held her hand tight. Her heart had broken in the same pain.

The blonde quickly shifted to comfort her friend as Anna whimpered in hurt like a dog and coughed. It frightened Elsa to understand that she could not aid her or help. She felt useless. She could only stare at her and wait until she toughened it out.

"…Every breath hurts, and coughing is absolute torture. Honestly, I don't know how I bear it sometimes. My lungs feel like they're getting stabbed and collapsing."

Elsa didn't know what to say. She took a breath and thought about Anna's position—the agony she was in. Elsa knew without a doubt, if given the chance, she would take her place in a heartbeat.

"…Anna, throughout all the messed up things that have happened in my life, nothing compared to how horrified I felt when I was told what happened. I froze instantly and nearly dropped my phone. …I… I… I guess…" Elsa was certain about what she wanted to say but was hesitant. "I guess I just wanted to say that y-you are really important to me and… I wouldn't miss this." The blonde's eyes were locked deep in Anna's face. It was a good thing the poor girl couldn't see. She held the woman's hand with both of hers and rubbed. "I've never had a friend like you. …Well… I've never had a friend."

Anna smiled, finding solace in her words. Her neck turned, and she spoke. "Why?"

Elsa tilted her head slightly, "Sorry?"

"Why don't you have any friends? Who are you? What happened to you? Where did you come from? You said out of all the bad things of your past, none compare to what you felt when finding out about me. They can't be that bad, can they?" The girl playfully hit Elsa's shoulder. "C'mon. Why don't you tell me who you really are?"

Elsa pondered for a needed few seconds. She was skeptical for sure. Regardless, her mouth did open to speak sooner or later. She was definitely sure of her words this time.

"Tell you what, I'll give that some thought for sure. Not right now, but I promise I will tell you. Give me some time to think and put things in order. You'll understand soon; I guarantee that."

Anna chuckled softly, "Deal… woman of mystery."

Elsa couldn't help but smile at her voice. Her head rested back in her cushion, and her eyes shut, listening to the woman's giggles as they fell quieter and quieter.


	10. Chapter 10

So Elsa waited her whole life, and finally it was time for someone other than herself and her dog to visit her home. The plans had been confirmed less than a week ago, and Elsa was, for some random reason, bouncing off the walls in excitement. For the past three days, she had been doing nothing but tidying the place up, regardless of her friend's impediment, and dancing past midnight until her legs gave out below her and she dropped to the floor. Acknowledging it was probably embarrassing for him, Elsa often lifted up Shfix by his two front paws and forced him to join with her. It made her only happier to see that, once he was "tortured" enough, learning to accept it, he began to open his mouth playfully and rapidly wag his tail. Anna was now only minutes away from arriving. The suspense only grew.

She paced and paced. All Elsa could do was think. Shfix looked at his master like she was crazy—all mumbling to herself and whatnot. It definitely didn't help that she was holding a grin the whole time. His eyes gave up after a minute or two of following her. He lied comfortably in a corner near the border of the blonde's bedroom and the kitchen. His eyes slowly shut, hoping to gain a nap, but both his and his master's head whipped up as they heard a knock emitting from the main door. A tiny whimper came out of the dog. He looked at his master and stood. Elsa held her heart, taking a breath. Her feet swiftly carried her in leaps across the room. Before she knew it, the door was open.

"Welcome, travelers!" Elsa laughed, greeting Anna and Iduna. There she was—the redhead standing in front of her. Anna was normal again, healthy, and smiling wide for the world to see. It nearly brought a tear to the blonde's eye. It was like Anna never took that trip to the hospital. She was beautiful.

"Elsa!" the redhead cheerfully replied, extending her arms out and falling into Elsa for a comforting hug. The blonde embraced it instead of feeling so shocked. She realized she no longer had anything to worry about. To think how much Elsa changed from just meeting these two people was astonishing. Never before had she acted this way to someone else—openly cracking jokes without a single hint of hesitation. It was like she always knew them. The shyest girl in the world was gone completely. Even after the two had parted, Elsa welcomed Iduna to do the same. Iduna was just like her daughter in loving hugs and things related.

"How are you both?" Elsa asked, smiling.

Iduna placed her hand on her chest, "We're doing fantastic." She continued the conversation. "Let me tell you, I envy this view you have up here."

Elsa giggled, "Half the reason why I bought it." she proudly stated, rubbing the back of her neck. She saw Iduna's eyes trail downwards to Elsa's right. The mother's face lit up greatly. Her eyes fluttered, and her mouth opened in adoration.

"Aw, and who's this little darling?" The blonde turned and expected none other than her canine companion.

Elsa knelt, "This is my good boy Shfix." holding and petting him. The Border Collie carefully scanned the people above him, not daring to move an inch. His eyes were so innocent and shy.

Iduna's hands were tightly holding her heart. "Oh, what a fine, young gentleman! He's so pretty."

"He's a real cutie, isn't he? Just be slow as you approach him."

Iduna took a step and pulled out her arm at a reasonably slow speed. Still, the dog cowered his head away as her hand neared. Elsa helped by keeping him in place as the woman continued her attempt to acquire his trust. Her hand made it just an inch or two away from his nose. After a second or two, he began sniffing her knuckles and then pushed the side of his face into her palm.

"Oh, you are just a big sweetheart, aren't you?" Iduna said. Elsa looked over at Anna and gently took her hand.

"Here. I'll introduce you to him." Elsa guided the redhead over and led her fingers into his comforting fur. Shfix was again suspicious, but, seeing his master in contact with the stranger, he was not as jumpy. Above all, he did trust his owner. Shfix politely kept still, feeling the woman's hands caress him. Elsa didn't know if he realized, but his tail was wagging quite rapidly after some time. Anna smiled and even giggled. Both of them could feel each other's innocence.

When Anna retracted her arm, Iduna spoke up and announced to the two of them that she would take her leave. All of them said their farewells, and the mother and daughter shared a hug. Iduna walked to her vehicle while discussing that Anna should be home by sunset IF she was not staying the night. Of course, when Elsa heard that, though already knowing of it, her excitement shot up fairly immensely. Elsa waved as the brunette entered her car and started into the distance. Elsa then turned around and welcomed Anna into her little home.

Of course, Anna couldn't marvel at it, but she could feel its warmth and relate/connect with its soundless peace. Elsa directed her around, though there wasn't much to say, since there were only 3 main rooms: the garage, which branched off the house to the left, the bathroom, which was also to the left, and the main room, which held both the kitchen and her bedroom that were separated on either end. Needless to say, the house was intended for only one user.

As the minutes started to pass, they were back to the way they always were. With not even a half-hour reached, the two girls were already burning their obliques in laughter. They gossiped about celebrities, played word games, danced—sometimes hand in hand—to their favourite songs, and even, during the next hour, attempted to bake an apple pie. The idea sounded dumb, but boy, was doing it even dumber. Elsa had found a recipe on her phone and, through halfway completing it, realized they were missing three or more key ingredients. It was irrelevant, though, as the two of them were having a blast the whole time. Elsa even got to take Anna's hands to show her where to put things or do something. Ultimately, it came out tasting like damp cardboard. They decided to give it to Shfix as his dinner. Afterwards, they spent a few good minutes laughing at Elsa for accidentally spilling melting butter on her pants and then accidentally wiping her hair with the exact same fluid on her hands.

The world then began to simmer down. Anna and Elsa sat at the dining table talking and talking. It wasn't a discussion that they giggled about; it was a more heartfelt one—one where they asked questions about each other: their favourite things, food they want to taste, their opinions on what the meaning of life is, and, not until Anna brought it up, Elsa's promise to her that she'd explain her life story. She asked, "So, Elsa… who are you?" as her attempt to start it off. Understandably, though, it took some time.

"…Um… Well, I… I… Uh…" Elsa hesitated. It didn't take long for the redhead to take action and help her through it. To do so, she actually suggested she'd begin first. By this, she hoped Elsa would be more comfortable to tell her side.

"Here. Allow me to start first." The blonde obeyed. Anna put her hands together atop the table. Entirely honest, Anna was even getting a little choked up herself. Guess it had been a while since she, too, had come to terms with her past.

"M-my… My…" The girl paused and giggled. "I'm sorry. I don't know why this is so hard. …My story begins by obviously having this sort of curse to do with my eyes. …I mean, I've been blind as long as I can remember. I-I haven't ever seen anything. I've never seen myself or my mom. …But… that's not the only thing. A long, long time ago, I had a father… but he died on patrol one time as a cop." At that moment, Elsa felt an arrow through her heart. It made her realize again how much she missed her mother. It seems the two of them had more in common than they thought. That would explain why Elsa always only saw Anna and Iduna. She never really acknowledged that fact. "…I… I don't remember much about him… Then again, how could I? I was only four at the time. …I barely remember his voice. Truthfully, that scares me."

Elsa was silent. All she could do was feel sorry and even a little bit guilty—guilty because she made Anna speak up first. It wasn't a good mark on her conscience. The reason why it struck her so deeply was because, in all honesty, Elsa didn't want to have to relive the moment of her mother passing away. Hearing Anna tell of her father touched Elsa in a way only she would know. She realized how distressed Anna must have felt to have to relive that moment the way Elsa feared.

"…Anna…"

"It's fine." the girl said. Elsa smiled at how strong she was. It was impressive. Elsa didn't think she could do the same. "I'm alright. Don't worry. I've had worse." The blonde loved how she could make her smile so easily.

"Now," Anna spoke up again, "I know I don't know what your life conceals, and I know you may not want to-"

"No…" Elsa said. "It's OK." she said firmly. "I'm OK with this." It was Anna's turn to smile.

Elsa was indeed ready to spill her story like a shattered glass of milk, but hesitation and stuttering got the best of her. Granted, it was no longer due to fear but simply because she was a little on the fence of where she should start. The most logical and understandable place, for more than one reason, was her mother's death to show something the girls had in common. Elsa, albeit difficult, finally opened her mouth.

"…I, uh… W-well, Anna, I… There was…" Elsa stopped, knowing she wasn't going anywhere with that one. She tried again. She chuckled to lighten the mood as much she could. "Well, Anna… There's actually something we share very similar…" Elsa halted right there as her eyes floated up just above Anna's head. Her heart pounded hard once in her chest, sending a paralyzing shiver throughout every end of her body. She couldn't believe it and could not surprise herself anymore for not realizing it sooner. There, hanging on the wall—God's definite hint—was that portrait she found in her hands one day; it was the portrait of her and another sitting on that bench she fastened outside. What caused the shock to run through her body was the fact that both Anna and that girl in the picture had red hair and two ponytails. That was when the blonde's eyes opened wide and flickered back between Anna and the painting. "Anna…" she softly said as she stood up, "come with me."

But a moment later, the girls were sitting outside before the drop and the breathtaking world below—though not on the bench, as Elsa, too, thought, but on the piece of land above the cliff so that their legs were dangling off. Though it was unintended, the improvisation actually spoke to Elsa a whole lot more. The sunset was out as well. Elsa sat Anna next to her on the right, whom of which was reasonably confused and asking what was happening. Without stutter or even a mistake, Elsa fluently began to speak. She understood everything in that moment.

"Anna, we share something in common. When I was a kid, all I had was my mother. My father was an abusive drunk, who cared about no one, and I didn't make friends at school. I could only look up to her. She was my only friend… But one day, I found out she had died in a car accident." The redhead let out a quiet gasp. Elsa needed to pause before she continued. "I had no other way to cope with it than to cry. I had no friends to comfort me and not a good enough dad to guide me through it. After that, my life dropped eternally downhill. The loneliness I felt at school turned into pushes and shoves and name-calling. People started bullying me, but I was just being myself. They bullied me because…" Elsa took a breath and knew she couldn't go that far yet. "…I'm sorry… I can't say… Anyway, it was more like a bail to finally finish school. Throughout the way, though, I had already broken the law countless times. I got my license by actually paying a lookalike to memorize my dad's signature and name and all that junk, so I could get it. I didn't really know what I was going to do with the rest of my life, but I sure as hell wasn't staying there. The day that finally changed it all for me, and I'll never forget it, was when my dad and I had our final fight. I say final because I was thrown out of the house. At that moment, I made the decision that would forever alter my life. I snuck back in and stole all the money I could from him. I then rushed to the airport and got on the quickest flight. I didn't know where I was heading, but I didn't care. I was too angry. From then on, I vowed never to trust anyone, never to let anyone else in my life again because I knew people for only hate-filled monsters. To be honest, I don't remember my dad that much, but I hope I forget. I never want to see him again." Elsa stopped and took another breath. "But some good did come from that trip. I found my passion for art and landed here. …And most of all, I met you." Her voice was much happier.

"Besides a few days of living on the streets, I've stayed up on this mountain for my whole new life. From my paintings and whatnot, I gathered enough money to afford a house and an actual normal life for once. …A-and… the only one who had been with me for all these years was Shfix. Do you know why I picked Shfix out of all the other dogs? It was because when I looked into his eyes… I saw myself. I knew he had been through a pain just like mine. He was abused and rescued as a puppy. From that, I knew he was the one I'd choose to spend my life with. And I loved him from the very beginning. His eyes trembled when he looked at me—a person. We were the same; I gave him a chance to love again, and he accepted." Elsa turned to Anna. She smiled. "Anna, you gave me that same chance to love people again. I couldn't be more grateful to have met you. When I am around you and your mother, it's like I've never had that hate in my life before. I'm completely new when I'm with you. You are my first and only friend. That's why I was so scared when I heard you went to the hospital. I don't know how my life would've continued if you never came back. I had already lost my family once. I didn't want to lose another." Elsa wiped a tear that leaked out of her eye. "Throughout all the hell, hate, and despair that has haunted and poisoned my life, you were and are my cure, Anna. You and your mother were the first to ever enjoy my company besides my mom."

The redhead could only tear up as she heard what she did. Anna understood who this girl was now and how broken she was from enduring it all. Just when she thought her life was a bit crooked, here came along Elsa, who had it worse. When she compared the blonde's to all the heartache in her own life, it was logical why she wept as much as she did; although, Elsa didn't truly feel and realize Anna's reaction of woe until she heard her voice.

"I don't get it." Anna voiced. "Why are you telling me this out here?"

There was a pause.

"Because, Anna, I love you. I always will." Elsa kissed the girl on the cheek.

Anna was confused, as the only word to put it. There was something there—something different. She could not make out what it was. She had never experienced this. What was that? What was that thing there? It wasn't that darkness she always knew. It was bright. Anna moved her right hand to feel it, and suddenly another thing moved as well. When she stopped, it stopped. That was the exact moment Anna's heart started pounding. When she closed her fist, that thing closed. When she moved her left hand, another thing on the left moved. Anna was looking at her hands. Anna could see.

"No way…" she gasped. Her head turned towards the sound of a voice giggling. Elsa knew it, too. There was no doubt as she stared into Anna's new diamond blue eyes. They were trembling, though, of course—as would anybody after gaining the ability of sight. There were tears falling out of them, and they were absolutely stunning.

"Elsa?" Anna asked, staring at the figure. Elsa nodded as she continued to smile. There she was—the mystery girl. Anna couldn't believe it. That was Elsa in front of her, and it was indeed no dream. She saw who she was—her blonde hair, gorgeous eyes, and everything. That was the face behind the voice and, as well the person to rid her of her blindness. Anna already knew, from the second she laid eyes on Elsa, she was not only shaking from pure shock, but from also realizing how incredibly beautiful this girl was.

"Elsa!" Anna said again. Elsa closed her eyes and chuckled. "Elsa!" she screamed in joy, pouncing on top of the blonde. She grabbed Elsa's face with both of her hands and dove into her mouth. Anna held the kiss there for a couple seconds. It was enough to comprehend how happy they both were at this moment. Elsa had been bullied and ran from her past, only to find herself here with someone she could finally say out loud she loved. Anna had lived her life always confused and forever seeing darkness. It wasn't until the love from this woman finally cured her. They understood, as if reading an ancient prophecy, bound together, the two of them were meant for each other for the rest of eternity to heal every wound, fill every hole, and rid every demon inside one another.

Anna broke from the kiss and stared into Elsa's eyes. Her tears fell on Elsa's cheeks. "I love you, Elsa!" she said. The redhead was so happy. "I love you so much!" Both of them pulled each other in for another kiss. After they broke again, Anna whipped her head around in every direction, wanting to see the world that she never could. She looked at the mountain and the ground and took quite a bit of time to gawk at the valley way down below them. The redhead raised three fingers to her lips and one the chin as she saw all the different colours. There was the beautiful green of the grass, the light blue of the sky and water, the shadows, and the golden glow of the sunset looking right at them. Anna's arm, as if subconsciously, repeatedly poked Elsa.

"Look, Elsa. Look." the girl said. She couldn't cease tearing. Her hand pointed. "I can see it. There's the lake…! And that's the grass…!" She looked up. "…And there's the sky…!" Anna's eyes fell into her palms to sob. She tried to wipe as best she could away, but they just kept coming. "I can see everything, Elsa… Thank you… Thank you so much…" Anna felt Elsa's body comfortably wrap tight around her.

"Thank you, too, Anna." the blonde spoke up. "You freed me. Now I have someone to love and to love me." The redhead took her hands away, staring down into Elsa's eyes. She held the woman's face once again and kissed her. With their foreheads pressing together, she spoke once more.

"Forever, Elsa, I will. I will love you with everything I have and more."

Gently, the blonde took Anna's hand—pressing softly beneath her ear. "Let's go inside." she suggested, guiding the woman as they stood and began walking.

The door opened to the house, and waiting patiently inside was Shfix. Elsa beamed, gleefully watching Anna kneel down, sounding literal awe when being witness to the adorable creature. Shfix looked at the two of them shy as always but was shortly coaxed into embracing Anna's hug after a quick order from his master. The woman held him for some time and kept looking back at his "little, precious face".

Seeing the dog was, of course, not the only thing Elsa showed her. The blonde introduced her eyes around the house, gave her a taste of her paintings and works and whatnot, and, most importantly, brought her to a mirror. There were no better nor greater words to comprehend the shock Anna felt from all this. All she did was smile and tear and touch the mirror as she repeated "that's me" two or three times. She couldn't get over her freckles, her hair colour, and her blue eyes. Anna wasn't the only one.

After seeing up, down, left, right, and everything in sight, a waiting moment of quiet had crossed into their life. They found themselves conversing across the table they had sat at once prior. They were discussing the holes still unfilled in their stories—mainly, and such as, Elsa's reason for being bullied way back when. Anna gave her opinions on the matter and, just the same as Elsa, concluded that those people were being completely unfair and "total jerks". However, that topic provided an easy steppingstone towards the matter of their new relationship. All that waited was the future and what would inevitably come from it. Hand in hand, they discussed what they needed to.

"So you liked me from the very beginning?" Anna asked.

"From the very moment I laid eyes on you." Elsa replied. "I was so astonished. I… never had that feeling in my heart before, but I knew I loved you. You were so innocent and stunning… A… and to think we could've never met each other if I was just walking on the other side of the road."

"Well, it seems I'm the luckiest girl on the planet to have met you, then." the redhead smiled, squeezing Elsa's fingers. "I would never be sitting here, holding your hands, wanting to kiss you." she giggled. Elsa was so amazed how she could make something so depressing, if interpreted a different way, sound so jovial. Elsa turned red and chuckled. The girl still couldn't fully believe Anna was genuinely speaking words like those to her. Elsa opened her eyes and jerked in fright as she found Anna about half a foot from her face, lying across the table. She smiled as Anna giggled and kissed her.

"So where do we go from here?"

Elsa combed through Anna's hair behind her right ear and replied. "I don't care… so long as I'm with you." Her finger on her other hand gently caressed up the redhead's neck to the underside of her chin, "We'll figure something out of course." said the blonde happily.

Anna grinned, "Why did we go outside?" Anna expected Elsa to pet her when she moved her hand, but the blonde pointed behind her.

"Because of that." The redhead turned around to see a very poetic portrait of two people sitting on a bench. "Do you recognize anyone?" Anna was quick to point out the woman on the left as Elsa by matching their braids. There was a slower, quieter answer that came with the second figure, though. Her voice ceased as she pointed over to the other character. Noticing its hair colour and the two signature braids, Anna's hand gradually retreated from the painting and touched her own locks.

"Is that me?" questioned Anna. Elsa nodded. "Oh, you're so cute. You really do love me. When did you make it?"

Elsa laughed. She was so precious. "A long time before I met you."

Anna looked back in disbelief, "Oh, quit goofing around. We, like, made out already. I'm pretty sure we're a thing. You don't have to hide anything anymore."

"Anna, I'm telling the truth. I actually don't remember making it, though. I-it just… appeared in my hands one day, and I just couldn't throw it out. It means something, Anna. That's us together, and we're here now together. What does that tell you?"

Anna dropped to the table on her back with her head hanging upside-down off the edge. "I don't even have to say." the woman chuckled. She took Elsa's hands and danced them around in no pattern.

"Had I not been so scared to touch you before, perhaps I would've known you were so playful in contact." Elsa looked down at her.

"Well, you shouldn't have been. Fact is, I probably would've loved it. I understand being super shy, though. Heck, if I would've known we were going to turn out like this, I would've done crazy things to your mouth a long time ago. True love's kiss, huh?"

The blonde could not stop smiling. "No kidding." Anna shifted her hands down at her sides to pull Elsa in.

"Mmm!" Anna gasped suddenly, sandwiching Elsa's lips. The blonde, no doubt, lifted and asked what happened. Her heart sank for a moment, thinking she was the one who caused her spontaneous jolt.

"My mom!" the redhead cried. "I have to see my mother!"

Iduna was only casually enjoying soup during a comedy film when she heard a few, soft knocks at her door. She paused her movie and moved for the doorknob. Usually she would have checked who it was, but she suspected her daughter would be home around this time, since it seemed she was not staying the night there anymore. Why Anna didn't just open the door was only faintly confusing, but she answered it nonetheless. It was no surprise to see her daughter standing there with Elsa, except that Anna was in tears and no longer possessed gray eyes.

"Mama!" cried the girl, holding her mother's face delicately in her palms. Her tears sparkled in the sunset rays like diamond rain. "I can see you, mama! Your face is right here in front of me!"

Iduna's response choked in her throat. There was no way she could believe it, but it was too real. There were so many questions that came to mind but only one that got out. "How?" she asked. A gentle smile crept on her face. She shared tears with Anna. "What happened?" Iduna sort of chuckled. "How is this possible!?" Her eyes switched between the two girls for an answer. Elsa just clenched her teeth and pretended to scratch her face to conceal her redness. Anna would take this one.

"I don't know. It doesn't matter. I can see, mama! I can see everything!" She took her mother in closer for a hug. "I finally know what the person who took care of me all my life looks like!"

Iduna returned the hug, wrapping her arms firmly around her daughter. "Yes. You can, Anna…! I'm so happy!" The brunette looked up and met Elsa's eyes. She saw her there standing with a cheerful smile and her hands held together. Before shutting, Iduna gave her a small but discernible grin. She made sure the blonde caught it. No doubt it got her questioning.

Afterwards, Anna did none else than explore her home. The kitchen and living room and whatnot were all normal and within her expectations, but what she really wanted to see was her own room. When planting foot in it, she looked around as if she was floating in space—the cartoony stickers she randomly placed around as stars. She looked at all the toys she used to feel to imagine them. No longer did she have to. That was the beauty of it. Every wish she had was granted. Anna flopped on her bed and turned to look at the ceiling. That was when she heard a small laugh emit from the other two women. Before speaking up, Anna thought hard for the moment about what she was going to say. Though this was her bed, her room, and her house, she could always have another time to spend with her mother. Anna had a different idea for the time being.

"Mom," the redhead sat up, "I know, since this happened, that there's a lot of stuff that you and I need to discuss and catch up on. I know, though, that we have years ahead of us to do that. So…" she looked down at her legs and scratched the back of her neck, "my answer is… I want to stay the night at Elsa's. This all happened at her place anyway, and there's still some stuff she said she wanted to show me that I simply cannot wait to see. Please?"

Elsa's eyes opened as wide as a child's witnessing a calf being born. Elsa was so red she could be mistaken for being sunburnt. Anna was obviously lying about the stuff she supposedly wanted to see, so she knew immediately what she wanted. Perhaps Elsa wouldn't have been so stunned, though, if the redhead's mom wasn't standing less than a foot from her. If she was even a slightly skeptical person, maybe she could catch on. To her luck, it wasn't the case. Iduna had a genuine smile that understood Anna's wish. Elsa sensed something off about it. It didn't seem like an ordinary smile to agree. It looked something more as if what Anna asked was expected. When Iduna glanced back at Elsa, she even giggled. Seems she didn't care about her redness either.

"Oh, of course! I don't mind. I actually thought you two were going to anyway. There's always time for us to talk later. For the meantime, you two go have fun."

Anna sprung up from her bed and bounced over to her mother. "Thank you. I'll see you soon, so we can talk. I promise." the girl hugged her. She let go and took Elsa's hand and led her toward and up the stairs. "Come on! Let's go, Elsa!" And with that, they were gone.

Everything from that point was a complete blur until the two girls were staring at each other underneath the same blankets. They rested entwined in each other's arms. One last kiss was shared between them before, eventually, their eyes faded deeper and deeper into their first slumber together.

 **Prepare for one final chapter…**


	11. Chapter 11

The two girls walked through Anna's front door, barely believing that they were already back here after a night so magical. Perhaps it was because they never wanted it to end, thus the moment seeming not entirely unfabricated. Admittedly to them, the night felt almost swift, and, as well, that could potentially be proven by having to talk to the mother of this house whilst also having the images of what the two of them had performed that night constantly flashing in their minds as they pretend to speak with their prior innocence to her that is now in fact no longer. They made sure they entered after their faces were at least a little less red from the giggling they forced themselves to cease. To their luck, Iduna was viewing some comedy show, which would have trumped any sounds they would have been making. Iduna turned and gave them a proper greeting once standing and able. The young girls were convinced she bought it.

Conversation carried throughout their time together. Iduna was so kind to actually make the two of them an entire breakfast; well, SHE would have if the girls didn't agree among themselves to help her. Once sitting, they ate and talked, mainly and expectedly about Iduna's fascination and questions regarding Anna's miraculous change. How else could the girls answer her without responding with a simple, repeated "I don't know"? There was no way either of them were going to spread even a hint of what the truth was. Iduna didn't seem to pester or delve into it any further than where the girls built their defence to it. Playing the dumb card proved to work rather well.

But it was only when Anna decided to flee to the bathroom for a quick, roughly twenty minute shower (because she was observing the new grounds of her own body) that Iduna appeared to care more about the subject. The mother and Elsa shared a pot of coffee as she began to question, sifting.

"Do you believe in miracles? I mean, I guess I have to now, but you being present for it must have been… amazing. A real shocker." Iduna was speaking fast, so Elsa could not answer until she wanted the blonde to. "A girl cured of blindness… It shook my whole world at first, but not anymore." Elsa could sense she held a greater meaning behind the words spoken to her. Iduna's way of speaking was like a story building up to its plot. She was dragging Elsa into something that Elsa was so caught off-guard by she could only listen and hope to play her cards right. "Do you know why, Elsa?" It was finally Elsa's turn to speak.

"No…" Elsa wasn't entirely sure if she was rhetorical or not.

"Do you believe in miracles?"

"I do." Elsa said more confidently.

"Do you know exactly what happened?"

Elsa placed down her card, "N-no, I-I don't really know…"

Iduna dropped her head for a second and laughed, "Let me just put it bluntly: when exactly did you fall in love with my daughter?"

And there it was. The bomb dropped on Elsa, flushing her entire being whiter than her own hair already was. Her lips shut tight as if a spell had been cast upon them. Embarrassment held her so stiff in place she could be mistaken for a mannequin in a museum. Elsa had genuinely no clue how to answer her.

Iduna let her sit in agony for a bit before she broke out in laughter. "Elsa, don't be tense. I don't care. I just want to know."

Elsa still didn't move, and she took her time answering. "...You knew?"

"Elsa, it's literally my job to read people. I started to pick up the signs. But this didn't build over time, did it? You offered to help her when you first met her and agreed to meeting her again. And the devastation you emitted when she was in the hospital… You liked her from the beginning." She put her finger up. "I can as well assume, though I could be wrong, you've been so isolated because of this secret. Something in your past made you like that, but you opened up after meeting Anna. I put the pieces together. I'm not far, am I?"

Elsa forced the most sheepish smile she would have never imagined she would have to feel, "...Yeah. I…"

"Don't worry. I know I've tortured you enough already. You don't need to say anything. I don't know what happened between you two, but I am just as grateful as she is. And y'know, it didn't take me long after the fact to see that she shares the same feeling about you. So why would I deny?"

That rang in Elsa's head. Her eyes went wide. "Y… you mean…"

Iduna smiled, "I give you my blessing."

A flood of emotions overwhelmed Elsa. Her eyes stared right into the woman's eyes. Her arms flew forward, and her body followed. She wrapped around Iduna, burying her tearing face right between her shoulder and neck. She didn't know how to thank her any other way. Elsa's gratitude could never be satisfied. But Iduna knew it was enough.

They parted with enough time for Elsa to polish herself back to normal before Anna returned in time to wonder what was going on. Iduna and Elsa kept it to themselves, playing the scene off as if they were just chatting. Iduna winked at Elsa. Elsa knew she could rest easy. Iduna was going to take care of it. Iduna told her.

It was later, long after Elsa had left. Anna had to wake up early because she had work the next day, so the two of them thought best they shouldn't spend the night together. Anna was worried she'd be kicked out of the clinic, since she was cured now, nervous if she had to find a new job. She spoke to her mother about it. Iduna wasn't worried at all. She had different interests in conversation.

"Anna."

"Yeah, Mama?"

"That girl, Elsa, how do you feel about her?"

"I have something to tell you." Anna stepped closer to the couch Iduna was resting on.

"You're in love with that girl, aren't you?" Iduna smiled. Anna couldn't see it. She was facing the couch's backside.

"I want to spend my life with her."

"I see. I know you do."

They chatted about it for a little bit more.

It was a while later. Elsa and Anna walked outside, sitting themselves down on that bench planted next to Elsa's house. Shfix walked over and licked them both at least once. Anna giggled, showing her adoration by petting him before he walked away to sniff trees and whatnot. Anna watched him but felt a warm hand touch her cheek. The redhead turned. Her soft lips, still smiling, touched Elsa's—a rush flooding through them both. Elsa turned her head forwards. Anna did as well.

"You remember being here three years ago?"

Anna giggled, "How could I forget?" turning back to Elsa. Her body froze, staring at the little box in the blonde's palm. Elsa removed its cover, revealing a ring, shining like a star from the setting sunshine glow. "Elsa…!"

"Anna, you are everything to me. I love you. Will you marry me?"

Anna's hands covered her face, attempting to shield her eyes before she threw herself upon Elsa, letting it all out. "Yes, Elsa! I do! I do…!" she wept, tearing into the fabric around her lover's collar. She kissed Elsa, pressing harder and longer than she ever had, grabbing the sides of her face, holding the blonde closer to her own being. Elsa wiped away the puddles in her eyes for her, knowing Anna wouldn't want to let go. "Forever, Elsa, I will! I will with all of my love and more! ...Do you remember me saying that?" she smiled.

Elsa simply laughed, "How could I forget?" Anna smiled wider, exhaling a laugh but tearing in her eyes again. They shared a kiss, wanting it to last for as long as time would continue.

With a feather touch, Elsa took Anna's hand, placing the ring around her finger. The redhead's hand was shaking slightly, but she was so ecstatic.

"Do you like it?" the blonde questioned, smiling.

Anna hugged Elsa, "I love it!" She sat back up to examine her ring.

There was a tiny diamond held up by four arms, which somewhat reminded Anna of a throne. There were foreign scribbles on either side. To the left read, "Our love". To the right, "To no end". Anna's opinion spelled the word "beautiful". And though it was stunning for a gaze, it seemed to speak to Anna on some higher degree. It was like she had seen it before. Anna didn't ask, but her expression told Elsa she was curious to know this mystery.

"Does it look familiar?"

Anna was quite surprised she knew. Her eyes darted up to Elsa's, "W- Yeah. How did you know? Where'd you get this from?"

"Your mother gave it to me."

Anna clenched her fist with the ring held tightly inside. Her words were lost from choking on another rain of tears. Anna fought her emotions, believing it would be more pathetic than adoring to cry again after so much already. Her eyes clamped shut, facing down as a small attempt to hide her waters from Elsa. But of course her lover did not care. Elsa held Anna for as long as she needed it. They both realized that one's weakness gave the other strength. Their kindness, courtesy, and affection towards one another would bring them absolute bliss in any circumstance. This is what it meant to love.

"I love you, Anna."

"I love you, Elsa."

 **The end.**


End file.
